The Development of SCORM-Conformant Learning Content Based on the Learning Cycle Using Participatory Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Su, C. Y.; Chiu, C. H.; Wang, T. I.

2010-01-01

This study incorporates the 5E learning cycle strategy to design and develop Sharable Content Object Reference Model-conformant materials for elementary science education. The 5E learning cycle that supports the constructivist approach has been widely applied in science education. The strategy consists of five phases: engagement, exploration,…

Problems of Implementing SCORM in an Enterprise Distance Learning Architecture: SCORM Incompatibility across Multiple Web Domains.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelbrecht, Jeffrey C.

2003-01-01

Delivering content to distant users located in dispersed networks, separated by firewalls and different web domains requires extensive customization and integration. This article outlines some of the problems of implementing the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) in the Marine Corps' Distance Learning System (MarineNet) and extends…

Moisture distributions in western hemlock lumber from trees harvested near Sitka, Alaska.

Treesearch

David L. Nicholls; Allen M. Brackley; Travis. Allen

2003-01-01

Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) can be characterized by localized regions of high-moisture-content wood, often referred to as wet pockets, and uneven drying conditions may occur when lumber of higher and lower moisture content is mixed together in a dry kiln. The primary objective of this preliminary study was to characterize the frequency and...

Type of Evidence Behind Point-of-Care Clinical Information Products: A Bibliometric Analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Point-of-care (POC) products are widely used as information reference tools in the clinical setting. Although usability, scope of coverage, ability to answer clinical questions, and impact on health outcomes have been studied, no comparative analysis of the characteristics of the references, the evidence for the content, in POC products is available. Objective The objective of this study was to compare the type of evidence behind five POC clinical information products. Methods This study is a comparative bibliometric analysis of references cited in monographs in POC products. Five commonly used products served as subjects for the study: ACP PIER, Clinical Evidence, DynaMed, FirstCONSULT, and UpToDate. The four clinical topics examined to identify content in the products were asthma, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and carbon monoxide poisoning. Four indicators were measured: distribution of citations, type of evidence, product currency, and citation overlap. The type of evidence was determined based primarily on the publication type found in the MEDLINE bibliographic record, as well as the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), both assigned by the US National Library of Medicine. MeSH is the controlled vocabulary used for indexing articles in MEDLINE/PubMed. Results FirstCONSULT had the greatest proportion of references with higher levels of evidence publication types such as systematic review and randomized controlled trial (137/153, 89.5%), although it contained the lowest total number of references (153/2330, 6.6%). DynaMed had the largest total number of references (1131/2330, 48.5%) and the largest proportion of current (2007-2009) references (170/1131, 15%). The distribution of references cited for each topic varied between products. For example, asthma had the most references listed in DynaMed, Clinical Evidence, and FirstCONSULT, while hypertension had the most references in UpToDate and ACP PIER. An unexpected finding was that the rate of citation overlap was less than 1% for each topic across all five products. Conclusions Differences between POC products are revealed by examining the references cited in the monographs themselves. Citation analysis extended to include key content indicators can be used to compare the evidence levels of the literature supporting the content found in POC products. PMID:21335319

A SCORM Odyssey.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shackelford, Bill

2002-01-01

Discusses the Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM), which integrates electronic learning standards to provide a common ground for course development. Describes the Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin- Madison campus. (JOW)

A Neural Network Architecture For Rapid Model Indexing In Computer Vision Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawlicki, Ted

1988-03-01

Models of objects stored in memory have been shown to be useful for guiding the processing of computer vision systems. A major consideration in such systems, however, is how stored models are initially accessed and indexed by the system. As the number of stored models increases, the time required to search memory for the correct model becomes high. Parallel distributed, connectionist, neural networks' have been shown to have appealing content addressable memory properties. This paper discusses an architecture for efficient storage and reference of model memories stored as stable patterns of activity in a parallel, distributed, connectionist, neural network. The emergent properties of content addressability and resistance to noise are exploited to perform indexing of the appropriate object centered model from image centered primitives. The system consists of three network modules each of which represent information relative to a different frame of reference. The model memory network is a large state space vector where fields in the vector correspond to ordered component objects and relative, object based spatial relationships between the component objects. The component assertion network represents evidence about the existence of object primitives in the input image. It establishes local frames of reference for object primitives relative to the image based frame of reference. The spatial relationship constraint network is an intermediate representation which enables the association between the object based and the image based frames of reference. This intermediate level represents information about possible object orderings and establishes relative spatial relationships from the image based information in the component assertion network below. It is also constrained by the lawful object orderings in the model memory network above. The system design is consistent with current psychological theories of recognition by component. It also seems to support Marr's notions of hierarchical indexing. (i.e. the specificity, adjunct, and parent indices) It supports the notion that multiple canonical views of an object may have to be stored in memory to enable its efficient identification. The use of variable fields in the state space vectors appears to keep the number of required nodes in the network down to a tractable number while imposing a semantic value on different areas of the state space. This semantic imposition supports an interface between the analogical aspects of neural networks and the propositional paradigms of symbolic processing.

Nature of Environmental Education in Bangladesh: A School Level Assessment with Reference to the National Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, M. A. Taiyeb

2014-01-01

This paper attempts to identify the nature of formal environmental education in Bangladesh at school level with particular reference to the national curriculum. The main objective of the study is to assess the contents of the school textbooks for each standard, and to see whether the diversified themes covered are a good representation of…

Creating Domain Independent Adaptive E-Learning Systems Using the Sharable Content Object Reference Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Jason; Ahmed, Pervaiz K.; Hardaker, Glenn

2007-01-01

Purpose: This research aims to investigate how a generic web-based ITS can be created which will adapt the training content in real time, to the needs of the individual trainee across any domain. Design/methodology/approach: After examining the various alternatives SCORM was adopted in this project because it provided an infrastructure that makes…

Long-term Science Data Curation Using a Digital Object Model and Open-Source Frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, J.; Lenhardt, W.; Wilson, B. E.; Palanisamy, G.; Cook, R. B.

2010-12-01

Scientific digital content, including Earth Science observations and model output, has become more heterogeneous in format and more distributed across the Internet. In addition, data and metadata are becoming necessarily linked internally and externally on the Web. As a result, such content has become more difficult for providers to manage and preserve and for users to locate, understand, and consume. Specifically, it is increasingly harder to deliver relevant metadata and data processing lineage information along with the actual content consistently. Readme files, data quality information, production provenance, and other descriptive metadata are often separated in the storage level as well as in the data search and retrieval interfaces available to a user. Critical archival metadata, such as auditing trails and integrity checks, are often even more difficult for users to access, if they exist at all. We investigate the use of several open-source software frameworks to address these challenges. We use Fedora Commons Framework and its digital object abstraction as the repository, Drupal CMS as the user-interface, and the Islandora module as the connector from Drupal to Fedora Repository. With the digital object model, metadata of data description and data provenance can be associated with data content in a formal manner, so are external references and other arbitrary auxiliary information. Changes are formally audited on an object, and digital contents are versioned and have checksums automatically computed. Further, relationships among objects are formally expressed with RDF triples. Data replication, recovery, metadata export are supported with standard protocols, such as OAI-PMH. We provide a tentative comparative analysis of the chosen software stack with the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model, along with our initial results with the existing terrestrial ecology data collections at NASA’s ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center for Biogeochemical Dynamics (ORNL DAAC).

Inducing Behavioral Change in Seekers of Pro-Anorexia Content Using Internet Advertisements: Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Brunstein-Klomek, Anat; Mandel, Or; Hadas, Arie; Fennig, Silvana

2018-01-01

Background The influence of pro-anorexia (pro-ana) websites is debated, with studies indicating both negative and positive effects, as well as significant variation in the effects of different websites for those suffering from eating disorders (EDs) and the general population. Online advertising, known to induce behavioral change both online and in the physical world, has not been used so far to modify the search behavior of people seeking pro-ana content. Objective The objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to examine if online advertisements (ads) can change online search behaviors of users who are looking for online pro-ana content. Methods Using the Bing Ads system, we conducted an RCT to randomly expose the searchers for pro-ana content to 10 different ads referring people to one of the three websites: the National Eating Disorders Association, the National Institutes of Mental Health, and MyProAna. MyProAna is a pro-ana website that was found in a previous study to be associated with less pathological online behaviors than other pro-ana websites. We followed participants exposed and unexposed to the ads to explore their past and future online searches. The ads were shown 25,554 times and clicked on 217 times. Results Exposure to the ads was associated with a decrease in searches for pro-ana and self-harm content. Reductions were greatest among those referred to MyProAna (reduction of 34.0% [73/215] and 37.2% [80/215] for pro-ana and self-harm, respectively) compared with users who were referred elsewhere (reduction of 15.47% [410/2650] and 3.21% [85/2650], respectively), and with users who were not shown the ads, who increased their behaviors (increase of 57.12% [6462/11,314] and 4.07% [461/11,314], respectively). In addition, those referred to MyProAna increased their search for treatment, as did control users, who did so to a lesser extent. However, users referred elsewhere decreased their searches for this content. Conclusions We found that referring users interested in ED-related content to specific pro-ana communities might lessen their maladaptive online search behavior. This suggests that those who are preoccupied with EDs can be redirected to less pathological online searches through appropriate pathways. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03439553; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT03439553 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xNYnxYlw) PMID:29472176

Financial Analysis and Mathematics of Business: Part IV in a Series--Preparation for Certified Professional Secretary Examination. An Instructor's Guide for an Adult Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonyea, Adrian C.

The instructor's guide provides a review for those preparing to take Part IV of the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) examination. Course content can also help secretaries update their skills in accounting and business mathematics. Organized into lessons with objectives, content outline, and teaching suggestions and references, the units…

Toward Developing a Universal Code of Ethics for Adult Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siegel, Irwin H.

2000-01-01

Presents conflicting viewpoints on a universal code of ethics for adult educators. Suggests objectives of a code (guidance for practice, policymaking direction, common reference point, shared values). Outlines content and methods for implementing a code. (SK)

When combinatorial processing results in reconceptualization: toward a new approach of compositionality

PubMed Central

Schumacher, Petra B.

2013-01-01

Propositional content is often incomplete but comprehenders appear to adjust meaning and add unarticulated meaning constituents effortlessly. This happens at the propositional level (The baby drank the bottle) but also at the phrasal level (the wooden turtle). In two ERP experiments, combinatorial processing was investigated in container/content alternations and adjective-noun combination transforming an animate entity into a physical object. Experiment 1 revealed that container-for-content alternations (The baby drank the bottle) engendered a Late Positivity on the critical expression and on the subsequent segment, while content-for-container alternations (Chris put the beer on the table) did not exert extra costs. In Experiment 2, adjective-noun combinations (the wooden turtle) also evoked a Late Positivity on the critical noun. First, the Late Positivities are taken to reflect discourse updating demands resulting from reference shift from the original denotation to the contextually appropriate interpretation (e.g., the reconceptualization form animal to physical object). This shift is supported by the linguistic unavailability of the original meaning, exemplified by copredication tests. Second, the data reveal that meaning alternations differ qualitatively. Some alternations involve (cost-free) meaning selection, while others engender processing demands associated with reconceptualization. This dissociation thus calls for a new typology of metonymic shifts that centers around the status of the involved discourse referents. PMID:24098293

Adapting the ISO 20462 softcopy ruler method for online image quality studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burns, Peter D.; Phillips, Jonathan B.; Williams, Don

2013-01-01

In this paper we address the problem of Image Quality Assessment of no reference metrics, focusing on JPEG corrupted images. In general no reference metrics are not able to measure with the same performance the distortions within their possible range and with respect to different image contents. The crosstalk between content and distortion signals influences the human perception. We here propose two strategies to improve the correlation between subjective and objective quality data. The first strategy is based on grouping the images according to their spatial complexity. The second one is based on a frequency analysis. Both the strategies are tested on two databases available in the literature. The results show an improvement in the correlations between no reference metrics and psycho-visual data, evaluated in terms of the Pearson Correlation Coefficient.

The Corporate University Model for Continuous Learning, Training and Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El-Tannir, Akram A.

2002-01-01

Corporate universities typically convey corporate culture and provide systematic curriculum aimed at achieving strategic objectives. Virtual access and company-specific content combine to provide opportunities for continuous and active learning, a model that is becoming pervasive. (Contains 17 references.) (SK)

Algebra 1r, Mathematics (Experimental): 5215.13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strachan, Florence

This third of six guidebooks on minimum course content for first-year algebra includes work with laws of exponents; multiplication, division, and factoring of polynomials; and fundamental operations with rational algebraic expressions. Course goals are stated, performance objectives listed, a course outline provided, testbook references specified…

Metadata and Buckets in the Smart Object, Dumb Archive (SODA) Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Michael L.; Maly, Kurt; Croom, Delwin R., Jr.; Robbins, Steven W.

2004-01-01

We present the Smart Object, Dumb Archive (SODA) model for digital libraries (DLs), and discuss the role of metadata in SODA. The premise of the SODA model is to "push down" many of the functionalities generally associated with archives into the data objects themselves. Thus the data objects become "smarter", and the archives "dumber". In the SODA model, archives become primarily set managers, and the objects themselves negotiate and handle presentation, enforce terms and conditions, and perform data content management. Buckets are our implementation of smart objects, and da is our reference implementation for dumb archives. We also present our approach to metadata translation for buckets.

The Psychotherapy and Reading Clinic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Arline

The theoretical basis for a Figurative Therapy Reading Clinic in the elementary schools and the tentative structure for implementing that clinic as a pilot project are described in this paper. The contents include: "Figurative Therapy Defined," which refers to the psychoanalytic approach to art therapy; "The Objectives of the Figurative Therapy…

The Spanish National Reference Database for Ionizing Radiations (BANDRRI)

PubMed

Los Arcos JM; Bailador; Gonzalez; Gonzalez; Gorostiza; Ortiz; Sanchez; Shaw; Williart

2000-03-01

The Spanish National Reference Database for Ionizing Radiations (BANDRRI) is being implemented by a reasearch team in the frame of a joint project between CIEMAT (Unidad de Metrologia de Radiaciones Ionizantes and Direccion de Informatica) and the Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED, Departamento de Mecanica y Departamento de Fisica de Materiales). This paper presents the main objectives of BANDRRI, its dynamic and relational data base structure, interactive Web accessibility and its main radionuclide-related contents at this moment.

[Low caloric value and high salt content in the meals served in school canteens].

PubMed

Paiva, Isabel; Pinto, Carlos; Queirós, Laurinda; Meister, Maria Cristina; Saraiva, Margarida; Bruno, Paula; Antunes, Delfina; Afonso, Manuel

2011-01-01

School lunch can contribute to aggravate food quality, by excess or deficiency, or it can contribute to compensate and alleviate them. This school meal should be an answer to combating the epidemic of obesity, and to feed some grace children. The objective was to study the nutritional composition of catering in canteens of public schools, from Northern municipalities in the District of Porto: Vila do Conde, Póvoa de Varzim, Santo Tirso and Trofa. Meals were subjected to laboratory analysis. Thirty two meals, four per each school were analysed, reference values for the analysis of the nutritional composition of meals were dietary reference intakes (USA) and eating well at school (UK). The average energy meal content was 447 kcal and the median 440 kcal (22% of daily calories). The average values of nutrients, per meal, were: lipids 9, 8 g, carbohydrate 65,7 g and proteins 24,0 g. In average the contribution for the meal energy was: 20% fat, 59% carbohydrate and 21% protein. In more than 75% of meals the contribution of lipid content was below the lower bound of the reference range. The average content of sodium chloride per meal was 3.4 g, and the confidence interval 95% to average 3.0 to 3.8 g, well above the recommended maximum value of 1.5 grams. The average content fiber per meal was 10.8 g higher than the minimum considered appropriate. In conclusion, the value low caloric meals was mainly due to the low fat content, and content salt of any of the components of the meal was very high.

A comparative analysis of the density of the SNOMED CT conceptual content for semantic harmonization

PubMed Central

He, Zhe; Geller, James; Chen, Yan

2015-01-01

Objectives Medical terminologies vary in the amount of concept information (the “density”) represented, even in the same sub-domains. This causes problems in terminology mapping, semantic harmonization and terminology integration. Moreover, complex clinical scenarios need to be encoded by a medical terminology with comprehensive content. SNOMED Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), a leading clinical terminology, was reported to lack concepts and synonyms, problems that cannot be fully alleviated by using post-coordination. Therefore, a scalable solution is needed to enrich the conceptual content of SNOMED CT. We are developing a structure-based, algorithmic method to identify potential concepts for enriching the conceptual content of SNOMED CT and to support semantic harmonization of SNOMED CT with selected other Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) terminologies. Methods We first identified a subset of English terminologies in the UMLS that have ‘PAR’ relationship labeled with ‘IS_A’ and over 10% overlap with one or more of the 19 hierarchies of SNOMED CT. We call these “reference terminologies” and we note that our use of this name is different from the standard use. Next, we defined a set of topological patterns across pairs of terminologies, with SNOMED CT being one terminology in each pair and the other being one of the reference terminologies. We then explored how often these topological patterns appear between SNOMED CT and each reference terminology, and how to interpret them. Results Four viable reference terminologies were identified. Large density differences between terminologies were found. Expected interpretations of these differences were indeed observed, as follows. A random sample of 299 instances of special topological patterns (“2:3 and 3:2 trapezoids”) showed that 39.1% and 59.5% of analyzed concepts in SNOMED CT and in a reference terminology, respectively, were deemed to be alternative classifications of the same conceptual content. In 30.5% and 17.6% of the cases, it was found that intermediate concepts could be imported into SNOMED CT or into the reference terminology, respectively, to enhance their conceptual content, if approved by a human curator. Other cases included synonymy and errors in one of the terminologies. Conclusion These results show that structure-based algorithmic methods can be used to identify potential concepts to enrich SNOMED CT and the four reference terminologies. The comparative analysis has the future potential of supporting terminology authoring by suggesting new content to improve content coverage and semantic harmonization between terminologies. PMID:25890688

Revised Reference Curves for Bone Mineral Content and Areal Bone Mineral Density According to Age and Sex for Black and Non-Black Children: Results of the Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study

PubMed Central

Kalkwarf, Heidi J.; Gilsanz, Vicente; Lappe, Joan M.; Oberfield, Sharon; Shepherd, John A.; Frederick, Margaret M.; Huang, Xiangke; Lu, Ming; Mahboubi, Soroosh; Hangartner, Thomas; Winer, Karen K.

2011-01-01

Context: Deficits in bone acquisition during growth may increase fracture risk. Assessment of bone health during childhood requires appropriate reference values relative to age, sex, and population ancestry to identify bone deficits. Objective: The objective of this study was to provide revised and extended reference curves for bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in children. Design: The Bone Mineral Density in Childhood Study was a multicenter longitudinal study with annual assessments for up to 7 yr. Setting: The study was conducted at five clinical centers in the United States. Participants: Two thousand fourteen healthy children (992 males, 22% African-Americans) aged 5–23 yr participated in the study. Intervention: There were no interventions. Main Outcome Measures: Reference percentiles for BMC and aBMD of the total body, lumbar spine, hip, and forearm were obtained using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry for Black and non-Black children. Adjustment factors for height status were also calculated. Results: Extended reference curves for BMC and aBMD of the total body, total body less head, lumbar spine, total hip, femoral neck, and forearm for ages 5–20 yr were constructed relative to sex and age for Black and non-Black children. Curves are similar to those previously published for 7–17 year olds. BMC and aBMD values were greater for Black vs. non-Black children at all measurement sites. Conclusions: We provide here dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry reference data on a well-characterized cohort of 2012 children and adolescents. These reference curves provide the most robust reference values for the assessment and monitoring of bone health in children and adolescents in the literature to date. PMID:21917867

The Culture Course in the Undergraduate Russian Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holliday, Gilbert

1983-01-01

The design and content of a required, fourth-year course in Soviet culture are proposed. The course has three distinguishing characteristics: basis in a broader, social sciences definition of culture; the Soviet Union as a frame of reference; and instruction in Russian. Its objectives are both cultural knowledge and language proficiency. (MSE)

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SCIENCE, PRIMARY 2-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GRAHAM, KATHRYN A.; AND OTHERS

COURSE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES, AND REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE IN SECOND AND THIRD GRADES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS DISCUSS AN APPROACH TO THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE AND THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCIENCE PROGRAM. SIX UNITS OF STUDY ARE PRESENTED FOR SECOND GRADE--(1) DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANTS AND ANIMALS, (2)…

The Evolution of SCORM to Tin Can API: Implications for Instructional Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindert, Lisa; Su, Bude

2016-01-01

Integrating and documenting formal and informal learning experiences is challenging using the current Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) eLearning standard, which limits the media and data that are obtained from eLearning. In response to SCORM's limitations, corporate, military, and academic institutions have collaborated to develop…

Alcohol Abuse Curriculum Guide for Nurse Practitioner Faculty. Health Professions Education Curriculum Resources Series. Nursing 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasselblad, Judith

The format for this curriculum guide, written for nurse practitioner faculty, consists of learning objectives, content outline, teaching methodology suggestions, references and recommended readings. Part 1 of the guide, Recognition of Early and Chronic Alcoholism, deals with features of alcoholism such as epidemiological data and theories,…

Working as a Plumber; Construction 7-9--Prevocational: 5846.09.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

The beginning course involves the student with practices in plumbing, referring to the various systems of pipes and tubes that carry liquids and gases from a source to a building. Course content includes goals, specific objectives, orientation, selecting hardware, tools and equipment, prescription for faulty fixtures, and plumbing installations.…

Adopting SCORM 1.2 Standards in a Courseware Production Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Bradley

2004-01-01

The Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) is a technology framework for Web-based learning technology. Originated by the Department of Defense and accelerated by the Advanced Distributed Learning initiative SCORM was released in January of 2000 (ADL, 2003). The goals of SCORM are to decrease the cost of training, while increasing the…

Experiments in MPEG-4 content authoring, browsing, and streaming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puri, Atul; Schmidt, Robert L.; Basso, Andrea; Civanlar, Mehmet R.

2000-12-01

In this paper, within the context of the MPEG-4 standard we report on preliminary experiments in three areas -- authoring of MPEG-4 content, a player/browser for MPEG-4 content, and streaming of MPEG-4 content. MPEG-4 is a new standard for coding of audiovisual objects; the core of MPEG-4 standard is complete while amendments are in various stages of completion. MPEG-4 addresses compression of audio and visual objects, their integration by scene description, and interactivity of users with such objects. MPEG-4 scene description is based on VRML like language for 3D scenes, extended to 2D scenes, and supports integration of 2D and 3D scenes. This scene description language is called BIFS. First, we introduce the basic concepts behind BIFS and then show with an example, textual authoring of different components needed to describe an audiovisual scene in BIFS; the textual BIFS is then saved as compressed binary file/s for storage or transmission. Then, we discuss a high level design of an MPEG-4 player/browser that uses the main components from authoring such as encoded BIFS stream, media files it refers to, and multiplexed object descriptor stream to play an MPEG-4 scene. We also discuss our extensions to such a player/browser. Finally, we present our work in streaming of MPEG-4 -- the payload format, modification to client MPEG-4 player/browser, server-side infrastructure and example content used in our MPEG-4 streaming experiments.

Medical Content Searching, Retrieving, and Sharing Over the Internet: Lessons Learned From the mEducator Through a Scenario-Based Evaluation

PubMed Central

Spachos, Dimitris; Mylläri, Jarkko; Giordano, Daniela; Dafli, Eleni; Mitsopoulou, Evangelia; Schizas, Christos N; Pattichis, Constantinos; Nikolaidou, Maria

2015-01-01

Background The mEducator Best Practice Network (BPN) implemented and extended standards and reference models in e-learning to develop innovative frameworks as well as solutions that enable specialized state-of-the-art medical educational content to be discovered, retrieved, shared, and re-purposed across European Institutions, targeting medical students, doctors, educators and health care professionals. Scenario-based evaluation for usability testing, complemented with data from online questionnaires and field notes of users’ performance, was designed and utilized for the evaluation of these solutions. Objective The objective of this work is twofold: (1) to describe one instantiation of the mEducator BPN solutions (mEducator3.0 - “MEdical Education LINnked Arena” MELINA+) with a focus on the metadata schema used, as well as on other aspects of the system that pertain to usability and acceptance, and (2) to present evaluation results on the suitability of the proposed metadata schema for searching, retrieving, and sharing of medical content and with respect to the overall usability and acceptance of the system from the target users. Methods A comprehensive evaluation methodology framework was developed and applied to four case studies, which were conducted in four different countries (ie, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania), with a total of 126 participants. In these case studies, scenarios referring to creating, sharing, and retrieving medical educational content using mEducator3.0 were used. The data were collected through two online questionnaires, consisting of 36 closed-ended questions and two open-ended questions that referred to mEducator 3.0 and through the use of field notes during scenario-based evaluations. Results The main findings of the study showed that even though the informational needs of the mEducator target groups were addressed to a satisfactory extent and the metadata schema supported content creation, sharing, and retrieval from an end-user perspective, users faced difficulties in achieving a shared understanding of the meaning of some metadata fields and in correctly managing the intellectual property rights of repurposed content. Conclusions The results of this evaluation impact researchers, medical professionals, and designers interested in using similar systems for educational content sharing in medical and other domains. Recommendations on how to improve the search, retrieval, identification, and obtaining of medical resources are provided, by addressing issues of content description metadata, content description procedures, and intellectual property rights for re-purposed content. PMID:26453250

Objects prompt authentic scientific activities among learners in a museum programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achiam, Marianne; Simony, Leonora; Kramer Lindow, Bent Erik

2016-04-01

Although the scientific disciplines conduct practical work in different ways, all consider practical work as the essential way of connecting objects and phenomena with ideas and the abstract. Accordingly, practical work is regarded as central to science education as well. We investigate a practical, object-based palaeontology programme at a natural history museum to identify how palaeontological objects prompt scientific activity among upper secondary school students. We first construct a theoretical framework based on an analysis of the programme's palaeontological content. From this, we build our reference model, which considers the specimens used in the programme, possible palaeontological interpretations of these specimens, and the conditions inherent in the programme. We use the reference model to analyse the activities of programme participants, and illustrate how these activities are palaeontologically authentic. Finally, we discuss our findings, examining the mechanism by which the specimens prompt scientific activities. We also discuss our discipline-based approach, and how it allows us to positively identify participants' activities as authentic. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings.

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SCIENCE, GRADES 4-5-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GRAHAM, KATHRYN A.; AND OTHERS

COURSE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES, AND REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE IN GRADES 4, 5, AND 6 ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS RELATE TO AN APPROACH TO TEACHING SCIENCE AND THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCIENCE PROGRAM. THE FIVE UNITS INCLUDED FOR GRADE 4 ARE (1) INSECTS AND SPIDERS, (2) LIVING THINGS OF SIMILAR AREAS, (3) THE…

CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SCIENCE FOR GRADES 7 AND 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GRAHAM, KATHRYN A.; AND OTHERS

COURSE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES, AND REFERENCE INFORMATION FOR TEACHING SCIENCE IN GRADES 7 AND 8 ARE INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS RELATE TO AN APPROACH TO TEACHING SCIENCE AND THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SCIENCE PROGRAM. SEVEN UNITS OF STUDY ARE INCLUDED FOR GRADE 7--(1) THE NATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE, (2) SIMPLE MECHANICS OF SOLIDS,…

Evaluation of Students' Views about the Use of SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model)-Compatible Materials in Physics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonen, Selahattin; Basaran, Bulent

2013-01-01

In the present study, a web site including instructional materials such as Whiteboard Movies (WBM), simulations and animations and testing materials such as true-false, fill-in-the-blanks, puzzles, open-ended questions and multiple-choice questions was designed. The study was carried out with 76 students attending Dicle College (DC), Diyarbakir…

Real Time Quality Control Methods for Cued EMI Data Collection

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-14

contents be construed as reflecting the official policy or position of the Department of Defense. Reference herein to any specific commercial product...This project evaluated the effectiveness of in-field quality control (QC) procedures during cued electromagnetic induction (EMI) data collection. The...electromagnetic induction ESTCP Environmental Security Technology Certification Program hr hour ISO Industry Standard Object IVS Instrument

Providing Geographic Datasets as Linked Data in Sdi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hietanen, E.; Lehto, L.; Latvala, P.

2016-06-01

In this study, a prototype service to provide data from Web Feature Service (WFS) as linked data is implemented. At first, persistent and unique Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI) are created to all spatial objects in the dataset. The objects are available from those URIs in Resource Description Framework (RDF) data format. Next, a Web Ontology Language (OWL) ontology is created to describe the dataset information content using the Open Geospatial Consortium's (OGC) GeoSPARQL vocabulary. The existing data model is modified in order to take into account the linked data principles. The implemented service produces an HTTP response dynamically. The data for the response is first fetched from existing WFS. Then the Geographic Markup Language (GML) format output of the WFS is transformed on-the-fly to the RDF format. Content Negotiation is used to serve the data in different RDF serialization formats. This solution facilitates the use of a dataset in different applications without replicating the whole dataset. In addition, individual spatial objects in the dataset can be referred with URIs. Furthermore, the needed information content of the objects can be easily extracted from the RDF serializations available from those URIs. A solution for linking data objects to the dataset URI is also introduced by using the Vocabulary of Interlinked Datasets (VoID). The dataset is divided to the subsets and each subset is given its persistent and unique URI. This enables the whole dataset to be explored with a web browser and all individual objects to be indexed by search engines.

Inducing Behavioral Change in Seekers of Pro-Anorexia Content Using Internet Advertisements: Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Yom-Tov, Elad; Brunstein-Klomek, Anat; Mandel, Or; Hadas, Arie; Fennig, Silvana

2018-02-22

The influence of pro-anorexia (pro-ana) websites is debated, with studies indicating both negative and positive effects, as well as significant variation in the effects of different websites for those suffering from eating disorders (EDs) and the general population. Online advertising, known to induce behavioral change both online and in the physical world, has not been used so far to modify the search behavior of people seeking pro-ana content. The objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to examine if online advertisements (ads) can change online search behaviors of users who are looking for online pro-ana content. Using the Bing Ads system, we conducted an RCT to randomly expose the searchers for pro-ana content to 10 different ads referring people to one of the three websites: the National Eating Disorders Association, the National Institutes of Mental Health, and MyProAna. MyProAna is a pro-ana website that was found in a previous study to be associated with less pathological online behaviors than other pro-ana websites. We followed participants exposed and unexposed to the ads to explore their past and future online searches. The ads were shown 25,554 times and clicked on 217 times. Exposure to the ads was associated with a decrease in searches for pro-ana and self-harm content. Reductions were greatest among those referred to MyProAna (reduction of 34.0% [73/215] and 37.2% [80/215] for pro-ana and self-harm, respectively) compared with users who were referred elsewhere (reduction of 15.47% [410/2650] and 3.21% [85/2650], respectively), and with users who were not shown the ads, who increased their behaviors (increase of 57.12% [6462/11,314] and 4.07% [461/11,314], respectively). In addition, those referred to MyProAna increased their search for treatment, as did control users, who did so to a lesser extent. However, users referred elsewhere decreased their searches for this content. We found that referring users interested in ED-related content to specific pro-ana communities might lessen their maladaptive online search behavior. This suggests that those who are preoccupied with EDs can be redirected to less pathological online searches through appropriate pathways. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03439553; https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT03439553 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6xNYnxYlw). ©Elad Yom-Tov, Anat Brunstein-Klomek, Or Mandel, Arie Hadas, Silvana Fennig. Originally published in JMIR Mental Health (http://mental.jmir.org), 22.02.2018.

Domain-Specific Control of Selective Attention

PubMed Central

Lin, Szu-Hung; Yeh, Yei-Yu

2014-01-01

Previous research has shown that loading information on working memory affects selective attention. However, whether the load effect on selective attention is domain-general or domain-specific remains unresolved. The domain-general effect refers to the findings that load in one content (e.g. phonological) domain in working memory influences processing in another content (e.g., visuospatial) domain. Attentional control supervises selection regardless of information domain. The domain-specific effect refers to the constraint of influence only when maintenance and processing operate in the same domain. Selective attention operates in a specific content domain. This study is designed to resolve this controversy. Across three experiments, we manipulated the type of representation maintained in working memory and the type of representation upon which the participants must exert control to resolve conflict and select a target into the focus of attention. In Experiments 1a and 1b, participants maintained digits and nonverbalized objects, respectively, in working memory while selecting a target in a letter array. In Experiment 2, we presented auditory digits with a letter flanker task to exclude the involvement of resource competition within the same input modality. In Experiments 3a and 3b, we replaced the letter flanker task with an object flanker task while manipulating the memory load on object and digit representation, respectively. The results consistently showed that memory load modulated distractibility only when the stimuli of the two tasks were represented in the same domain. The magnitude of distractor interference was larger under high load than under low load, reflecting a lower efficacy of information prioritization. When the stimuli of the two tasks were represented in different domains, memory load did not modulate distractibility. Control of processing priority in selective attention demands domain-specific resources. PMID:24866977

Modeling wormholes in f (R ,T ) gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moraes, P. H. R. S.; Sahoo, P. K.

2017-08-01

In this work, we propose the modeling of static wormholes within the f (R ,T ) extended theory of gravity perspective. We present some models of wormholes, which are constructed from different hypotheses for their matter content, i.e., different relations for their pressure components (radial and lateral) and different equations of state. The solutions obtained for the shape function of the wormholes obey the necessary metric conditions. They show a behavior similar to those found in previous references about wormholes, which also happens to our solutions for the energy density of such objects. We also apply the energy conditions for the wormholes' physical content.

Brewing for Students: An Inquiry-Based Microbiology Lab †

PubMed Central

Sato, Brian K.; Alam, Usman; Dacanay, Samantha J.; Lee, Amanda K.; Shaffer, Justin F.

2015-01-01

In an effort to improve and assess student learning, there has been a push to increase the incorporation of discovery-driven modules and those that contain real-world relevance into laboratory curricula. To further this effort, we have developed, implemented, and assessed an undergraduate microbiology laboratory experiment that requires students to use the scientific method while brewing beer. The experiment allows students to brew their own beer and characterize it based on taste, alcohol content, calorie content, pH, and standard reference method. In addition, we assessed whether students were capable of achieving the module learning objectives through a pre-/posttest, student self-evaluation, exam-embedded questions, and an associated worksheet. These objectives included describing the role of the brewing ingredients and predicting how altering the ingredients would affect the characteristics of the beer, amongst others. By completing this experimental module, students accomplished the module objectives, had greater interest in brewing, and were more likely to view beer in scientific terms. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education PMID:26753030

Brewing for Students: An Inquiry-Based Microbiology Lab.

PubMed

Sato, Brian K; Alam, Usman; Dacanay, Samantha J; Lee, Amanda K; Shaffer, Justin F

2015-12-01

In an effort to improve and assess student learning, there has been a push to increase the incorporation of discovery-driven modules and those that contain real-world relevance into laboratory curricula. To further this effort, we have developed, implemented, and assessed an undergraduate microbiology laboratory experiment that requires students to use the scientific method while brewing beer. The experiment allows students to brew their own beer and characterize it based on taste, alcohol content, calorie content, pH, and standard reference method. In addition, we assessed whether students were capable of achieving the module learning objectives through a pre-/posttest, student self-evaluation, exam-embedded questions, and an associated worksheet. These objectives included describing the role of the brewing ingredients and predicting how altering the ingredients would affect the characteristics of the beer, amongst others. By completing this experimental module, students accomplished the module objectives, had greater interest in brewing, and were more likely to view beer in scientific terms. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education.

Development of a Multilevel Intervention to Increase HIV Clinical Trial Participation among Rural Minorities

PubMed Central

Corbie-Smith, Giselle; Odeneye, Ebun; Banks, Bahby; Miles, Margaret Shandor; Isler, Malika Roman

2013-01-01

Minorities are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS in the rural Southeast; therefore, it is important to develop targeted, culturally appropriate interventions to support rural minority participation in HIV/AIDS research. Using Intervention Mapping, we developed a comprehensive multilevel intervention for service providers (SPs) and people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We collected data from both groups through 11 focus groups and 35 individual interviews. Resultant data were used to develop matrices of behavioral outcomes, performance objectives and learning objectives. Each performance objective was mapped with changeable, theory-based determinants to inform components of the intervention. Behavioral outcomes for the intervention included: (a) Eligible PLWHA will enroll in clinical trials; and (b) SPs will refer eligible PLWHA to clinical trials. The ensuing intervention consists of four SPs and six PLWHA educational sessions. Its contents, methods and strategies were grounded in the theory of reasoned action, social cognitive theory, and the concept of social support. All materials were pretested and refined for content appropriateness and effectiveness. PMID:22991051

Representing infant feeding: content analysis of British media portrayals of bottle feeding and breast feeding

PubMed Central

Henderson, Lesley; Kitzinger, Jenny; Green, Josephine

2000-01-01

Objective To examine how breast feeding and bottle feeding are represented by the British media. Design Content analysis. Subjects Television programmes and newspaper articles that made reference to infant feeding during March 1999. Setting UK mass media. Main outcome measures Visual and verbal references to breast or bottle feeding in newspapers and television programmes. Results Overall, 235 references to infant feeding were identified in the television sample and 38 in the newspaper sample. Bottle feeding was shown more often than breast feeding and was presented as less problematic. Bottle feeding was associated with “ordinary” families whereas breast feeding was associated with middle class or celebrity women. The health risks of formula milk and the health benefits of breast feeding were rarely mentioned. Conclusions The media rarely present positive information on breast feeding, even though this feeding practice is associated with the most health benefits. Health professionals and policy makers should be aware of patterns in media coverage and the cultural background within which women make decisions about infant feeding. PMID:11073512

Computing the Risk of Postprandial Hypo- and Hyperglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Considering Intrapatient Variability and Other Sources of Uncertainty

PubMed Central

García-Jaramillo, Maira; Calm, Remei; Bondia, Jorge; Tarín, Cristina; Vehí, Josep

2009-01-01

Objective The objective of this article was to develop a methodology to quantify the risk of suffering different grades of hypo- and hyperglycemia episodes in the postprandial state. Methods Interval predictions of patient postprandial glucose were performed during a 5-hour period after a meal for a set of 3315 scenarios. Uncertainty in the patient's insulin sensitivities and carbohydrate (CHO) contents of the planned meal was considered. A normalized area under the curve of the worst-case predicted glucose excursion for severe and mild hypo- and hyperglycemia glucose ranges was obtained and weighted accordingly to their importance. As a result, a comprehensive risk measure was obtained. A reference model of preprandial glucose values representing the behavior in different ranges was chosen by a ξ2 test. The relationship between the computed risk index and the probability of occurrence of events was analyzed for these reference models through 19,500 Monte Carlo simulations. Results The obtained reference models for each preprandial glucose range were 100, 160, and 220 mg/dl. A relationship between the risk index ranges <10, 10–60, 60–120, and >120 and the probability of occurrence of mild and severe postprandial hyper- and hypoglycemia can be derived. Conclusions When intrapatient variability and uncertainty in the CHO content of the meal are considered, a safer prediction of possible hyper- and hypoglycemia episodes induced by the tested insulin therapy can be calculated. PMID:20144339

Reference Architecture for MNE 5 Technical System

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-30

of being available in most experiments. Core Services A core set of applications whi directories, web portal and collaboration applications etc. A...classifications Messages (xml, JMS, content level…) Meta data filtering, who can initiate services Web browsing Collaboration & messaging Border...Exchange Ref Architecture for MNE5 Tech System.doc 9 of 21 audit logging Person and machine Data lev objects, web services, messages rification el

Moeglichkeiten eines gegenwartsorientierten Landeskundeunterrichts. Unter besonderer Beruecksichtigung der Haupt- und Realschuloberstufe (Possibilities of Present-Oriented Area-Study Teaching, with Special Reference to the Upper Grade of High Schools)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermes, Liesel

1975-01-01

Area study materials should be factual, contemporary, objective, and designed with regard to the student's level. Content should be limited to material contrasting with, or supplementary to, the students' knowledge. Penguin's series "Connexions" is better than available German texts. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Compression performance of HEVC and its format range and screen content coding extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Bin; Xu, Jizheng; Sullivan, Gary J.

2015-09-01

This paper presents a comparison-based test of the objective compression performance of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, its format range extensions (RExt), and its draft screen content coding extensions (SCC). The current dominant standard, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, is used as an anchor reference in the comparison. The conditions used for the comparison tests were designed to reflect relevant application scenarios and to enable a fair comparison to the maximum extent feasible - i.e., using comparable quantization settings, reference frame buffering, intra refresh periods, rate-distortion optimization decision processing, etc. It is noted that such PSNR-based objective comparisons generally provide more conservative estimates of HEVC benefit than are found in subjective studies. The experimental results show that, when compared with H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, HEVC version 1 provides a bit rate savings for equal PSNR of about 23% for all-intra coding, 34% for random access coding, and 38% for low-delay coding. This is consistent with prior studies and the general characterization that HEVC can provide about a bit rate savings of about 50% for equal subjective quality for most applications. The HEVC format range extensions provide a similar bit rate savings of about 13-25% for all-intra coding, 28-33% for random access coding, and 32-38% for low-delay coding at different bit rate ranges. For lossy coding of screen content, the HEVC screen content coding extensions achieve a bit rate savings of about 66%, 63%, and 61% for all-intra coding, random access coding, and low-delay coding, respectively. For lossless coding, the corresponding bit rate savings are about 40%, 33%, and 32%, respectively.

[An objective scoring system to evaluate the credibility of health related websites].

PubMed

Horváth, Tamás; Matics, Katalin; Meskó, Bertalan

2018-04-01

The unreliable quality of online health contents poses a serious challenge to the medical profession. Evaluating websites on the basis of their credibility increases the chance for readers to access professional content of better quality. Hungary still lags behind in taking practical steps to improve the quality and reliability of online patient education. EgészségKommandó (HealthCommando) is a new Hungarian objective scoring system established to evaluate the credibility of health related websites. It uses four types of indicators: transparency, content, recommendations, references. We evaluated 122 websites with EgészségKommandó. Out of this, 22.1% qualified as credible. The same assessment using JAMA benchmarks yielded only one credible website (0.8%). The most frequent deficiencies were the absence of reference to source, the omission of the quote that "the website information does not replace the doctor-patient discussion", and the identity of the author. In 45.9% of the cases, however, the content was written by medical professionals with contact information. By applying different types of credibility and quality indicators in a scoring system, EgészségKommandó can efficiently assess the websites on health-awareness. In cases where the recognized indicators are absent multiple times from a website, it will not pass the credibility test. Thus, EgészégKommandó can act as a filter. At the same time, EgészségKommandó is also capable of assessing webpages of different sorts systemically, and can recommend a proportionately large amount of reliable Hungarian medical web resources to those interested. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(13): 511-519.

Resident Education Curriculum in Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology: The Short Curriculum 2.0.

PubMed

Talib, Hina J; Karjane, Nicole; Teelin, Karen; Abraham, Margaret; Holt, Stephanie; Chelvakumar, Gayaythri; Dumont, Tania; Huguelet, Patricia S; Conner, Lindsay; Wheeler, Carol; Fleming, Nathalie

2018-04-01

The degree of exposure to pediatric and adolescent gynecology (PAG) varies across residency programs in obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. Nevertheless, these programs are responsible for training residents and providing opportunities within their programs to fulfill PAG learning objectives. To that end, the North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology has taken a leadership role in PAG resident education by creating and systematically updating the Short Curriculum. This curriculum outlines specific learning objectives that are central to PAG education and lists essential resources for learners' reference. This updated curriculum replaces the previous 2014 publication with added content, resources, and updated references. Additionally, attention to the needs of learners in pediatrics and adolescent medicine is given greater emphasis in this revised North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Short Curriculum 2.0. Copyright © 2017 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The social-cognitive basis of infants' reference to absent entities.

PubMed

Bohn, Manuel; Zimmermann, Luise; Call, Josep; Tomasello, Michael

2018-04-06

Recent evidence suggests that infants as young as 12 month of age use pointing to communicate about absent entities. The tacit assumption underlying these studies is that infants do so based on tracking what their interlocutor experienced in a previous shared interaction. The present study addresses this assumption empirically. In three experiments, 12-month-old infants could request additional desired objects by pointing to the location in which these objects were previously located. We systematically varied whether the adult from whom infants were requesting had previously experienced the former content of the location with the infant. Infants systematically adjusted their pointing to the now empty location to what they experienced with the adult previously. These results suggest that infants' ability to communicate about absent referents is based on an incipient form of common ground. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Statistical Model for Multilingual Entity Detection and Tracking

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

tomatic Content Extraction ( ACE ) evaluation achieved top-tier results in all three evaluation languages. 1 Introduction Detecting entities, whether named...of com- bining the detected mentions into groups of references to the same object. The work presented here is motivated by the ACE eval- uation...Entropy (MaxEnt henceforth) (Berger et al., 1996) and Robust Risk Minimization (RRM henceforth) 1For a description of the ACE program see http

Using Object-Oriented Databases for Implementation of Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-03-01

analytical process applied throughout the system acquisition program in order to define supportability related design factors and to ensure development of a...Node Alternatives Node Alternatives (NODEALTS) is a list of mutually exclusive nodes, grouped together by the fact that they apply to different...contextual situations. The content specific layer NODEALTS element is a reference to a set of nodes that might apply in different situations. No hierarchy

Real-time optical multiple object recognition and tracking system and method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, Tien-Hsin (Inventor); Liu, Hua-Kuang (Inventor)

1990-01-01

System for optically recognizing and tracking a plurality of objects within a field of vision. Laser (46) produces a coherent beam (48). Beam splitter (24) splits the beam into object (26) and reference (28) beams. Beam expanders (50) and collimators (52) transform the beams (26, 28) into coherent collimated light beams (26', 28'). A two-dimensional SLM (54), disposed in the object beam (26'), modulates the object beam with optical information as a function of signals from a first camera (16) which develops X and Y signals reflecting the contents of its field of vision. A hololens (38), positioned in the object beam (26') subsequent to the modulator (54), focuses the object beam at a plurality of focal points (42). A planar transparency-forming film (32), disposed with the focal points on an exposable surface, forms a multiple position interference filter (62) upon exposure of the surface and development processing of the film (32). A reflector (53) directing the reference beam (28') onto the film (32), exposes the surface, with images focused by the hololens (38), to form interference patterns on the surface. There is apparatus (16', 64) for sensing and indicating light passage through respective ones of the positions of the filter (62), whereby recognition of objects corresponding to respective ones of the positions of the filter (62) is affected. For tracking, apparatus (64) focuses light passing through the filter (62) onto a matrix of CCD's in a second camera (16') to form a two-dimensional display of the recognized objects.

Display device-adapted video quality-of-experience assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rehman, Abdul; Zeng, Kai; Wang, Zhou

2015-03-01

Today's viewers consume video content from a variety of connected devices, including smart phones, tablets, notebooks, TVs, and PCs. This imposes significant challenges for managing video traffic efficiently to ensure an acceptable quality-of-experience (QoE) for the end users as the perceptual quality of video content strongly depends on the properties of the display device and the viewing conditions. State-of-the-art full-reference objective video quality assessment algorithms do not take into account the combined impact of display device properties, viewing conditions, and video resolution while performing video quality assessment. We performed a subjective study in order to understand the impact of aforementioned factors on perceptual video QoE. We also propose a full reference video QoE measure, named SSIMplus, that provides real-time prediction of the perceptual quality of a video based on human visual system behaviors, video content characteristics (such as spatial and temporal complexity, and video resolution), display device properties (such as screen size, resolution, and brightness), and viewing conditions (such as viewing distance and angle). Experimental results have shown that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art video quality measures in terms of accuracy and speed.

Object-based media and stream-based computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bove, V. Michael, Jr.

1998-03-01

Object-based media refers to the representation of audiovisual information as a collection of objects - the result of scene-analysis algorithms - and a script describing how they are to be rendered for display. Such multimedia presentations can adapt to viewing circumstances as well as to viewer preferences and behavior, and can provide a richer link between content creator and consumer. With faster networks and processors, such ideas become applicable to live interpersonal communications as well, creating a more natural and productive alternative to traditional videoconferencing. In this paper is outlined an example of object-based media algorithms and applications developed by my group, and present new hardware architectures and software methods that we have developed to enable meeting the computational requirements of object- based and other advanced media representations. In particular we describe stream-based processing, which enables automatic run-time parallelization of multidimensional signal processing tasks even given heterogenous computational resources.

Detection of latent fingerprints by ultraviolet spectral imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wei; Xu, Xiaojing; Wang, Guiqiang

2013-12-01

Spectral imaging technology research is becoming more popular in the field of forensic science. Ultraviolet spectral imaging technology is an especial part of the full spectrum of imaging technology. This paper finished the experiment contents of the ultraviolet spectrum imaging method and image acquisition system based on ultraviolet spectral imaging technology. Ultraviolet spectral imaging experiments explores a wide variety of ultraviolet reflectance spectra of the object material curve and its ultraviolet spectrum of imaging modalities, can not only gives a reference for choosing ultraviolet wavelength to show the object surface potential traces of substances, but also gives important data for the ultraviolet spectrum of imaging technology development.

Processing graspable object images and their nouns is impaired in Parkinson's disease patients.

PubMed

Buccino, Giovanni; Dalla Volta, Riccardo; Arabia, Gennarina; Morelli, Maurizio; Chiriaco, Carmelina; Lupo, Angela; Silipo, Franco; Quattrone, Aldo

2018-03-01

According to embodiment, the recruitment of the motor system is necessary to process language material expressing a motor content. Coherently, an impairment of the motor system should affect the capacity to process language items with a motor content. The aim of the present study was to assess the capacity to process graspable objects and their nouns in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and healthy controls. Participants saw photos and nouns depicting graspable and non-graspable objects. Scrambled images and pseudo-words served as control stimuli. At 150 msec after stimulus presentation, they had to respond when the stimulus referred to a real object, and refrain from responding when it was meaningless (go-no go paradigm). In the control group, participants gave slower motor responses for stimuli (both photos and nouns) related to graspable objects as compared to non-graspable ones. This in keeping with data obtained in a previous study with young healthy participants. In the PD group, motor responses were similar for both graspable and non-graspable items. Moreover, error number was significantly greater than in controls. These findings support the notion that when the motor circuits are lesioned, like in PD, patients do not show the typical modulation of motor responses and have troubles in processing graspable objects and their nouns. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A content analysis of the quantity and accuracy of dietary supplement information found in magazines with high adolescent readership.

PubMed

Shaw, Patricia; Zhang, Vivien; Metallinos-Katsaras, Elizabeth

2009-02-01

The objective of this study was to examine the quantity and accuracy of dietary supplement (DS) information through magazines with high adolescent readership. Eight (8) magazines (3 teen and 5 adult with high teen readership) were selected. A content analysis for DS was conducted on advertisements and editorials (i.e., articles, advice columns, and bulletins). Noted claims/cautions regarding DS were evaluated for accuracy using Medlineplus.gov and Naturaldatabase.com. Claims for dietary supplements with three or more types of ingredients and those in advertisements were not evaluated. Advertisements were evaluated with respect to size, referenced research, testimonials, and Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) warning visibility. Eighty-eight (88) issues from eight magazines yielded 238 DS references. Fifty (50) issues from five magazines contained no DS reference. Among teen magazines, seven DS references were found: five in the editorials and two in advertisements. In adult magazines, 231 DS references were found: 139 in editorials and 92 in advertisements. Of the 88 claims evaluated, 15% were accurate, 23% were inconclusive, 3% were inaccurate, 5% were partially accurate, and 55% were unsubstantiated (i.e., not listed in reference databases). Of the 94 DS evaluated in advertisements, 43% were full page or more, 79% did not have a DSHEA warning visible, 46% referred to research, and 32% used testimonials. Teen magazines contain few references to DS, none accurate. Adult magazines that have a high teen readership contain a substantial amount of DS information with questionable accuracy, raising concerns that this information may increase the chances of inappropriate DS use by adolescents, thereby increasing the potential for unexpected effects or possible harm.

Contribution to the certification of B, Cd, Cu, Mg and Pb in a synthetic water sample, by use of isotope-dilution ICP-MS, for Comparison 12 of the International Measurement Evaluation Programme.

PubMed

Diemer, J; Quétel, C R; Taylor, P D P

2002-09-01

The contribution of the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements to the certification of the B, Cd, Cu, Mg, and Pb content of a synthetic water sample used in Comparison 12 of the International Measurement Evaluation Programme (IMEP-12) is described. The aim of the IMEP programme is to demonstrate objectively the degree of equivalence and quality of chemical measurements of individual laboratories on the international scene by comparing them with reference ranges traceable to the SI (Système International d'Unités). IMEP is organized in support of European Union policies and helps to improve the traceability of values produced by field chemical measurement laboratories. The analytical procedure used to establish the reference values for the B, Cd, Cu, Mg, and Pb content of the IMEP-12 sample is based on inductively coupled plasma-isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (ICP-IDMS) applied as a primary method of measurement. The measurements performed for the IMEP-12 study are described in detail. Focus is on the element boron, which is particularly difficult to analyze by ICP-MS because of potential problems of low sensitivity, high mass discrimination, memory effects, and abundance sensitivity. For each of the certified amount contents presented here a total uncertainty budget was calculated using the method of propagation of uncertainties according to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and Eurachem guidelines. For all investigated elements with concentrations in the low micro g kg(-1) and mg kg(-1) range (corresponding to pmol kg(-1) to the high micro mol kg(-1) level), SI-traceable reference values with relative expanded uncertainties ( k=2) of less than 2 % were obtained.

‘Sweeter Than a Swisher’: amount and themes of little cigar and cigarillo content on Twitter

PubMed Central

Kostygina, Ganna; Tran, Hy; Shi, Yaru; Kim, Yoonsang; Emery, Sherry

2016-01-01

Objective Despite recent increases in little cigar and cigarillo (LCC) use—particularly among urban youth, African-Americans and Latinos—research on targeted strategies for marketing these products is sparse. Little is known about the amount or content of LCC messages users see or share on social media, a popular communication medium among youth and communities of colour. Methods Keyword rules were used to collect tweets related to LCCs from the Twitter Firehose posted in October 2014 and March–April 2015. Tweets were coded for promotional content, brand references, co-use with marijuana and subculture references (eg, rap/hip-hop, celebrity endorsements) and were classified as commercial and ‘organic’/non-commercial using a combination of machine learning methods, keyword algorithms and human coding. Metadata associated with each tweet were used to categorise users as influencers (1000 and more followers) and regular users (under 1000 followers). Results Keyword filters captured over 4 372 293 LCC tweets. Analyses revealed that 17% of account users posting about LCCs were influencers and 1% of accounts were overtly commercial. Influencers were more likely to mention LCC brands and post promotional messages. Approximately 83% of LCC tweets contained references to marijuana and 29% of tweets were memes. Tweets also contained references to rap/hip-hop lyrics and urban subculture. Conclusions Twitter is a major information-sharing and marketing platform for LCCs. Co-use of tobacco and marijuana is common and normalised on Twitter. The presence and broad reach of LCC messages on social media warrants urgent need for surveillance and serious attention from public health professionals and policymakers. Future tobacco use prevention initiatives should be adapted to ensure that they are inclusive of LCC use. PMID:27697951

Language in Context: MEG Evidence for Modality-General and -Specific Responses to Reference Resolution

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract Successful language comprehension critically depends on our ability to link linguistic expressions to the entities they refer to. Without reference resolution, newly encountered language cannot be related to previously acquired knowledge. The human experience includes many different types of referents, some visual, some auditory, some very abstract. Does the neural basis of reference resolution depend on the nature of the referents, or do our brains use a modality-general mechanism for linking meanings to referents? Here we report evidence for both. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we varied both the modality of referents, which consisted either of visual or auditory objects, and the point at which reference resolution was possible within sentences. Source-localized MEG responses revealed brain activity associated with reference resolution that was independent of the modality of the referents, localized to the medial parietal lobe and starting ∼415 ms after the onset of reference resolving words. A modality-specific response to reference resolution in auditory domains was also found, in the vicinity of auditory cortex. Our results suggest that referential language processing cannot be reduced to processing in classical language regions and representations of the referential domain in modality-specific neural systems. Instead, our results suggest that reference resolution engages medial parietal cortex, which supports a mechanism for referential processing regardless of the content modality. PMID:28058272

AmO 2 Analysis for Analytical Method Testing and Assessment: Analysis Support for AmO 2 Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhn, Kevin John; Bland, Galey Jean; Fulwyler, James Brent

Americium oxide samples will be measured for various analytes to support AmO 2 production. The key analytes that are currently requested by the Am production customer at LANL include total Am content, Am isotopics, Pu assay, Pu isotopics, and trace element content including 237Np content. Multiple analytical methods will be utilized depending on the sensitivity, accuracy and precision needs of the Am matrix. Traceability to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will be achieved, where applicable, by running NIST traceable quality control materials. This given that there are no suitable AmO 2 reference materials currently available for requestedmore » analytes. The primary objective is to demonstrate the suitability of actinide analytical chemistry methods to support AmO 2 production operations.« less

Adherence of Pharmaceutical Advertisements in Medical Journals to FDA Guidelines and Content for Safe Prescribing

PubMed Central

Korenstein, Deborah; Keyhani, Salomeh; Mendelson, Ali; Ross, Joseph S.

2011-01-01

Background Physician-directed pharmaceutical advertising is regulated in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); adherence to current FDA guidelines is unknown. Our objective was to determine adherence rates of physician-directed print advertisements in biomedical journals to FDA guidelines and describe content important for safe prescribing. Methods and Findings Cross-sectional analysis of November 2008 pharmaceutical advertisements within top U.S.-based biomedical journals publishing original research. We excluded advertisements for devices, over the counter medications, and disease awareness. We utilized FDA guideline items identifying unique forms of advertisement bias to categorize advertisements as adherent to FDA guidelines, possibly non-adherent to at least 1 item, or non-adherent to at least 1 item. We also evaluated advertisement content important for safe prescribing, including benefit quantification, risk information and verifiable references. All advertisements were evaluated by 2 or more investigators, with differences resolved by discussion. Twelve journals met inclusion criteria. Nine contained pharmaceutical advertisements, including 192 advertisements for 82 unique products; median 2 per product (range 1–14). Six “teaser” advertisements presented only drug names, leaving 83 full unique advertisements. Fifteen advertisements (18.1%) adhered to all FDA guidelines, 41 (49.4%) were non-adherent with at least one form of FDA-described bias, and 27 (32.5%) were possibly non-adherent due to incomplete information. Content important for safe prescribing was often incomplete; 57.8% of advertisements did not quantify serious risks, 48.2% lacked verifiable references and 28.9% failed to present adequate efficacy quantification. Study limitations included its focus on advertisements from a single month, the subjectivity of FDA guidelines themselves, and the necessary subjectivity of determinations of adherence. Conclusions Few physician-directed print pharmaceutical advertisements adhere to all FDA guidelines; over half fail to quantify serious risks. The FDA could better protect public health by creating new more objective advertisement guidelines requiring transparent presentation of basic safety and efficacy information. PMID:21858076

Adherence of pharmaceutical advertisements in medical journals to FDA guidelines and content for safe prescribing.

PubMed

Korenstein, Deborah; Keyhani, Salomeh; Mendelson, Ali; Ross, Joseph S

2011-01-01

Physician-directed pharmaceutical advertising is regulated in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); adherence to current FDA guidelines is unknown. Our objective was to determine adherence rates of physician-directed print advertisements in biomedical journals to FDA guidelines and describe content important for safe prescribing. Cross-sectional analysis of November 2008 pharmaceutical advertisements within top U.S.-based biomedical journals publishing original research. We excluded advertisements for devices, over the counter medications, and disease awareness. We utilized FDA guideline items identifying unique forms of advertisement bias to categorize advertisements as adherent to FDA guidelines, possibly non-adherent to at least 1 item, or non-adherent to at least 1 item. We also evaluated advertisement content important for safe prescribing, including benefit quantification, risk information and verifiable references. All advertisements were evaluated by 2 or more investigators, with differences resolved by discussion. Twelve journals met inclusion criteria. Nine contained pharmaceutical advertisements, including 192 advertisements for 82 unique products; median 2 per product (range 1-14). Six "teaser" advertisements presented only drug names, leaving 83 full unique advertisements. Fifteen advertisements (18.1%) adhered to all FDA guidelines, 41 (49.4%) were non-adherent with at least one form of FDA-described bias, and 27 (32.5%) were possibly non-adherent due to incomplete information. Content important for safe prescribing was often incomplete; 57.8% of advertisements did not quantify serious risks, 48.2% lacked verifiable references and 28.9% failed to present adequate efficacy quantification. Study limitations included its focus on advertisements from a single month, the subjectivity of FDA guidelines themselves, and the necessary subjectivity of determinations of adherence. Few physician-directed print pharmaceutical advertisements adhere to all FDA guidelines; over half fail to quantify serious risks. The FDA could better protect public health by creating new more objective advertisement guidelines requiring transparent presentation of basic safety and efficacy information.

Application of new type of distributed multimedia databases to networked electronic museum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuroda, Kazuhide; Komatsu, Naohisa; Komiya, Kazumi; Ikeda, Hiroaki

1999-01-01

Recently, various kinds of multimedia application systems have actively been developed based on the achievement of advanced high sped communication networks, computer processing technologies, and digital contents-handling technologies. Under this background, this paper proposed a new distributed multimedia database system which can effectively perform a new function of cooperative retrieval among distributed databases. The proposed system introduces a new concept of 'Retrieval manager' which functions as an intelligent controller so that the user can recognize a set of distributed databases as one logical database. The logical database dynamically generates and performs a preferred combination of retrieving parameters on the basis of both directory data and the system environment. Moreover, a concept of 'domain' is defined in the system as a managing unit of retrieval. The retrieval can effectively be performed by cooperation of processing among multiple domains. Communication language and protocols are also defined in the system. These are used in every action for communications in the system. A language interpreter in each machine translates a communication language into an internal language used in each machine. Using the language interpreter, internal processing, such internal modules as DBMS and user interface modules can freely be selected. A concept of 'content-set' is also introduced. A content-set is defined as a package of contents. Contents in the content-set are related to each other. The system handles a content-set as one object. The user terminal can effectively control the displaying of retrieved contents, referring to data indicating the relation of the contents in the content- set. In order to verify the function of the proposed system, a networked electronic museum was experimentally built. The results of this experiment indicate that the proposed system can effectively retrieve the objective contents under the control to a number of distributed domains. The result also indicate that the system can effectively work even if the system becomes large.

Three-dimensional imaging of cultural heritage artifacts with holographic printers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Hoonjong; Stoykova, Elena; Berberova, Nataliya; Park, Jiyong; Nazarova, Dimana; Park, Joo Sup; Kim, Youngmin; Hong, Sunghee; Ivanov, Branimir; Malinowski, Nikola

2016-01-01

Holography is defined as a two-steps process of capture and reconstruction of the light wavefront scattered from three-dimensional (3D) objects. Capture of the wavefront is possible due to encoding of both amplitude and phase in the hologram as a result of interference of the light beam coming from the object and mutually coherent reference beam. Three-dimensional imaging provided by holography motivates development of digital holographic imaging methods based on computer generation of holograms as a holographic display or a holographic printer. The holographic printing technique relies on combining digital 3D object representation and encoding of the holographic data with recording of analog white light viewable reflection holograms. The paper considers 3D contents generation for a holographic stereogram printer and a wavefront printer as a means of analogue recording of specific artifacts which are complicated objects with regards to conventional analog holography restrictions.

Assessment of the contents related to screening on Portuguese language websites providing information on breast and prostate cancer.

PubMed

Ferreira, Daniel; Carreira, Helena; Silva, Susana; Lunet, Nuno

2013-11-01

The objective of this study was to assess the quality of the contents related to screening in a sample of websites providing information on breast and prostate cancer in the Portuguese language. The first 200 results of each cancer-specific Google search were considered. The accuracy of the screening contents was defined in accordance with the state of the art, and its readability was assessed. Most websites mentioned mammography as a method for breast cancer screening (80%), although only 28% referred to it as the only recommended method. Almost all websites mentioned PSA evaluation as a possible screening test, but correct information regarding its effectiveness was given in less than 10%. For both breast and prostate cancer screening contents, the potential for overdiagnosis and false positive results was seldom addressed, and the median readability index was approximately 70. There is ample margin for improving the quality of websites providing information on breast and prostate cancer in Portuguese.

A Regression-Based Family of Measures for Full-Reference Image Quality Assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oszust, Mariusz

2016-12-01

The advances in the development of imaging devices resulted in the need of an automatic quality evaluation of displayed visual content in a way that is consistent with human visual perception. In this paper, an approach to full-reference image quality assessment (IQA) is proposed, in which several IQA measures, representing different approaches to modelling human visual perception, are efficiently combined in order to produce objective quality evaluation of examined images, which is highly correlated with evaluation provided by human subjects. In the paper, an optimisation problem of selection of several IQA measures for creating a regression-based IQA hybrid measure, or a multimeasure, is defined and solved using a genetic algorithm. Experimental evaluation on four largest IQA benchmarks reveals that the multimeasures obtained using the proposed approach outperform state-of-the-art full-reference IQA techniques, including other recently developed fusion approaches.

No-reference video quality measurement: added value of machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mocanu, Decebal Constantin; Pokhrel, Jeevan; Garella, Juan Pablo; Seppänen, Janne; Liotou, Eirini; Narwaria, Manish

2015-11-01

Video quality measurement is an important component in the end-to-end video delivery chain. Video quality is, however, subjective, and thus, there will always be interobserver differences in the subjective opinion about the visual quality of the same video. Despite this, most existing works on objective quality measurement typically focus only on predicting a single score and evaluate their prediction accuracies based on how close it is to the mean opinion scores (or similar average based ratings). Clearly, such an approach ignores the underlying diversities in the subjective scoring process and, as a result, does not allow further analysis on how reliable the objective prediction is in terms of subjective variability. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to analyze this issue and present a machine-learning based solution to address it. We demonstrate the utility of our ideas by considering the practical scenario of video broadcast transmissions with focus on digital terrestrial television (DTT) and proposing a no-reference objective video quality estimator for such application. We conducted meaningful verification studies on different video content (including video clips recorded from real DTT broadcast transmissions) in order to verify the performance of the proposed solution.

Dissociating verbal and nonverbal audiovisual object processing.

PubMed

Hocking, Julia; Price, Cathy J

2009-02-01

This fMRI study investigates how audiovisual integration differs for verbal stimuli that can be matched at a phonological level and nonverbal stimuli that can be matched at a semantic level. Subjects were presented simultaneously with one visual and one auditory stimulus and were instructed to decide whether these stimuli referred to the same object or not. Verbal stimuli were simultaneously presented spoken and written object names, and nonverbal stimuli were photographs of objects simultaneously presented with naturally occurring object sounds. Stimulus differences were controlled by including two further conditions that paired photographs of objects with spoken words and object sounds with written words. Verbal matching, relative to all other conditions, increased activation in a region of the left superior temporal sulcus that has previously been associated with phonological processing. Nonverbal matching, relative to all other conditions, increased activation in a right fusiform region that has previously been associated with structural and conceptual object processing. Thus, we demonstrate how brain activation for audiovisual integration depends on the verbal content of the stimuli, even when stimulus and task processing differences are controlled.

Communication in Health Professions: A European consensus on inter- and multi-professional learning objectives in German.

PubMed

Bachmann, Cadja; Kiessling, Claudia; Härtl, Anja; Haak, Rainer

2016-01-01

Communication is object of increasing attention in the health professions. Teaching communication competencies should already begin in undergraduate education or pre-registration training. The aim of this project was to translate the Health Professions Core Communication Curriculum (HPCCC), an English catalogue of learning objectives, into German to make its content widely accessible in the German-speaking countries. This catalogue lists 61 educational objectives and was agreed on by 121 international communication experts. A European reference framework for inter- and multi-professional curriculum development for communication in the health professions in German-speaking countries should be provided. The German version of the HPCCC was drafted by six academics and went through multiple revisions until consensus was reached. The learning objectives were paired with appropriate teaching and assessment tools drawn from the database of the teaching Committee of the European Association for Communication Health Care (tEACH). The HPCCC learning objectives are now available in German and can be applied for curriculum planning and development in the different German-speaking health professions, the educational objectives can also be used for inter-professional purposes. Examples for teaching methods and assessment tools are given for using and implementing the objectives. The German version of the HPCCC with learning objectives for communication in health professions can contribute significantly to inter- and multi-professional curriculum development in the health care professions in the German-speaking countries. Examples for teaching methods and assessment tools from the materials compiled by tEACH supplement the curricular content and provide suggestions for practical implementation of the learning objectives in teaching and assessment. The relevance of the German HPCCC to the processes of curriculum development for the various health professions and inter-professional approaches should be the subject of further evaluation.

Loads and low frequency dynamics - An ENVIRONET data base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garba, John A.

1988-01-01

The loads and low frequency dynamics data base, part of Environet, is described with particular attention given to its development and contents. The objective of the data base is to provide the payload designer with design approaches and design data to meet STS safety requirements. Currently the data base consists of the following sections: abstract, scope, glossary, requirements, interaction with other environments, summary of the loads analysis process, design considerations, guidelines for payload design loads, information data base, and references.

Interstellar reddening information system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnashev, V. I.; Grigorieva, E. A.; Malkov, O. Yu.

2013-10-01

We describe an electronic bibliographic information system, based on a card catalog, containing some 2500 references (publications of 1930-2009) on interstellar extinction. We have classified the articles according to their content. We present here a list of articles devoted to two categories: maps of total extinction and variation of interstellar extinction with the distance to the object. The catalog is tested using published data on open clusters, and conclusions on the applicability of different maps of interstellar extinctions for various distances are made.

Astrophysics of Reference Frame Tie Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, Kenneth J.; Boboltz, David; Fey, Alan Lee; Gaume, Ralph A.; Zacharias, Norbert

2004-01-01

The Astrophysics of Reference Frame Tie Objects Key Science program will investigate the underlying physics of SIM grid objects. Extragalactic objects in the SIM grid will be used to tie the SIM reference frame to the quasi-inertial reference frame defined by extragalactic objects and to remove any residual frame rotation with respect to the extragalactic frame. The current realization of the extragalactic frame is the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). The ICRF is defined by the radio positions of 212 extragalactic objects and is the IAU sanctioned fundamental astronomical reference frame. This key project will advance our knowledge of the physics of the objects which will make up the SIM grid, such as quasars and chromospherically active stars, and relates directly to the stability of the SIM reference frame. The following questions concerning the physics of reference frame tie objects will be investigated.

Retrieval of ice crystals' mass from ice water content and particle distribution measurements: a numerical optimization approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coutris, Pierre; Leroy, Delphine; Fontaine, Emmanuel; Schwarzenboeck, Alfons; Strapp, J. Walter

2016-04-01

A new method to retrieve cloud water content from in-situ measured 2D particle images from optical array probes (OAP) is presented. With the overall objective to build a statistical model of crystals' mass as a function of their size, environmental temperature and crystal microphysical history, this study presents the methodology to retrieve the mass of crystals sorted by size from 2D images using a numerical optimization approach. The methodology is validated using two datasets of in-situ measurements gathered during two airborne field campaigns held in Darwin, Australia (2014), and Cayenne, France (2015), in the frame of the High Altitude Ice Crystals (HAIC) / High Ice Water Content (HIWC) projects. During these campaigns, a Falcon F-20 research aircraft equipped with state-of-the art microphysical instrumentation sampled numerous mesoscale convective systems (MCS) in order to study dynamical and microphysical properties and processes of high ice water content areas. Experimentally, an isokinetic evaporator probe, referred to as IKP-2, provides a reference measurement of the total water content (TWC) which equals ice water content, (IWC) when (supercooled) liquid water is absent. Two optical array probes, namely 2D-S and PIP, produce 2D images of individual crystals ranging from 50 μm to 12840 μm from which particle size distributions (PSD) are derived. Mathematically, the problem is formulated as an inverse problem in which the crystals' mass is assumed constant over a size class and is computed for each size class from IWC and PSD data: PSD.m = IW C This problem is solved using numerical optimization technique in which an objective function is minimized. The objective function is defined as follows: 2 J(m)=∥P SD.m - IW C ∥ + λ.R (m) where the regularization parameter λ and the regularization function R(m) are tuned based on data characteristics. The method is implemented in two steps. First, the method is developed on synthetic crystal populations in order to evaluate the behavior of the iterative algorithm, the influence of data noise on the quality of the results, and to set up a regularization strategy. Therefore, 3D synthetic crystals have been generated and numerically processed to recreate the noise caused by 2D projections of randomly oriented 3D crystals and by the discretization of the PSD into size classes of predefined width. Subsequently, the method is applied to the experimental datasets and the comparison between the retrieved TWC (this methodology) and the measured ones (IKP-2 data) will enable the evaluation of the consistency and accuracy of the mass solution retrieved by the numerical optimization approach as well as preliminary assessment of the influence of temperature and dynamical parameters on crystals' masses.

Sexpectations: Male College Students' Views about Displayed Sexual References on Females' Social Networking Web Sites

PubMed Central

Moreno, Megan A.; Swanson, Michael J.; Royer, Heather; Roberts, Linda J.

2011-01-01

Study Objective Sexual reference display on a social networking web site (SNS) is associated with self-reported sexual intention; females are more likely to display sexually explicit content on SNSs. The purpose of this study was to investigate male college students' views towards sexual references displayed on publicly available SNSs by females. Design Focus groups Setting One large state university Participants Male college students age 18–23 Interventions All tape recorded data was fully transcribed, then discussed to determine thematic consensus. Main Outcome Measures A trained male facilitator asked participants about views on sexual references displayed on SNSs by female peers and showed examples of sexual references from female's SNS profiles to facilitate discussion. Results A total of 28 heterosexual male participants participated in 7 focus groups. Nearly all participants reported using Facebook to evaluate potential female partners. Three themes emerged from our data. First, participants reported that displays of sexual references on social networking web sites increased sexual expectations. Second, sexual reference display decreased interest in pursuing a dating relationship. Third, SNS data was acknowledged as imperfect but valuable. Conclusion Females who display sexual references on publicly available SNS profiles may be influencing potential partners' sexual expectations and dating intentions. Future research should examine females' motivations and beliefs about displaying such references, and educate women about the potential impact of these sexual displays. PMID:21190872

The effects of substitute multisensory feedback on task performance and the sense of presence in a virtual reality environment

PubMed Central

Milella, Ferdinando; Pinto, Carlo; Cant, Iain; White, Mark; Meyer, Georg

2018-01-01

Objective and subjective measures of performance in virtual reality environments increase as more sensory cues are delivered and as simulation fidelity increases. Some cues (colour or sound) are easier to present than others (object weight, vestibular cues) so that substitute cues can be used to enhance informational content in a simulation at the expense of simulation fidelity. This study evaluates how substituting cues in one modality by alternative cues in another modality affects subjective and objective performance measures in a highly immersive virtual reality environment. Participants performed a wheel change in a virtual reality (VR) environment. Auditory, haptic and visual cues, signalling critical events in the simulation, were manipulated in a factorial design. Subjective ratings were recorded via questionnaires. The time taken to complete the task was used as an objective performance measure. The results show that participants performed best and felt an increased sense of immersion and involvement, collectively referred to as ‘presence’, when substitute multimodal sensory feedback was provided. Significant main effects of audio and tactile cues on task performance and on participants' subjective ratings were found. A significant negative relationship was found between the objective (overall completion times) and subjective (ratings of presence) performance measures. We conclude that increasing informational content, even if it disrupts fidelity, enhances performance and user’s overall experience. On this basis we advocate the use of substitute cues in VR environments as an efficient method to enhance performance and user experience. PMID:29390023

The effects of substitute multisensory feedback on task performance and the sense of presence in a virtual reality environment.

PubMed

Cooper, Natalia; Milella, Ferdinando; Pinto, Carlo; Cant, Iain; White, Mark; Meyer, Georg

2018-01-01

Objective and subjective measures of performance in virtual reality environments increase as more sensory cues are delivered and as simulation fidelity increases. Some cues (colour or sound) are easier to present than others (object weight, vestibular cues) so that substitute cues can be used to enhance informational content in a simulation at the expense of simulation fidelity. This study evaluates how substituting cues in one modality by alternative cues in another modality affects subjective and objective performance measures in a highly immersive virtual reality environment. Participants performed a wheel change in a virtual reality (VR) environment. Auditory, haptic and visual cues, signalling critical events in the simulation, were manipulated in a factorial design. Subjective ratings were recorded via questionnaires. The time taken to complete the task was used as an objective performance measure. The results show that participants performed best and felt an increased sense of immersion and involvement, collectively referred to as 'presence', when substitute multimodal sensory feedback was provided. Significant main effects of audio and tactile cues on task performance and on participants' subjective ratings were found. A significant negative relationship was found between the objective (overall completion times) and subjective (ratings of presence) performance measures. We conclude that increasing informational content, even if it disrupts fidelity, enhances performance and user's overall experience. On this basis we advocate the use of substitute cues in VR environments as an efficient method to enhance performance and user experience.

Preservice teachers' objectives and their experience of practical work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nivalainen, V.; Asikainen, M. A.; Hirvonen, P. E.

2013-06-01

This study explores third-year preservice physics teachers’ (n=32) views concerning the objectives of practical work at school and university. Content analysis of their essays about practical work revealed not only the objectives of the practical work undertaken but also how they had experienced teaching as school and university students. The objectives most commonly referred to were related to the connections between theory and practice, motivation, understanding phenomena, learning how to observe, and learning how to report. In contrast, some objectives were recognized only rarely, which is an important issue for discussion as a future challenge. Preservice teachers’ positive experiences of practical work resulted from the successful implementation of practical work. According to our findings, practical work can in many cases be regarded as successful, especially when the participants understand the objectives of the teaching. In contrast, negative experiences reflected failures or difficulties in implementation. We conclude by suggesting that preservice teachers should be offered opportunities to reflect on their previous experiences and to see and experience in practice the advantages of practical work.

Frequency and Content Analysis of CFS in Medical Text Books

PubMed Central

Jason, Leonard A.; Paavola, Erin; Porter, Nicole; Morello, Morgan L.

2013-01-01

Textbooks are a cornerstone in the training of medical staff and students, and they are an important source of references and reviews for these professionals. The objective of this study was to determine both the quantity and quality of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) information included in medical texts. After reviewing 119 medical textbooks from various medical specialties, we found that 48 (40.3%) of the medical textbooks included information on CFS. However, among the 129,527 total pages within these medical textbooks, the CFS content was presented on only 116.3 (.090%) pages. Other illnesses that are less prevalent, such as Multiple Sclerosis and Lyme disease, were more frequently represented in medical textbooks. These findings suggest that the topic of CFS is under-reported in published medical textbooks. PMID:21128580

Performance comparison of AV1, HEVC, and JVET video codecs on 360 (spherical) video

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topiwala, Pankaj; Dai, Wei; Krishnan, Madhu; Abbas, Adeel; Doshi, Sandeep; Newman, David

2017-09-01

This paper compares the coding efficiency performance on 360 videos, of three software codecs: (a) AV1 video codec from the Alliance for Open Media (AOM); (b) the HEVC Reference Software HM; and (c) the JVET JEM Reference SW. Note that 360 video is especially challenging content, in that one codes full res globally, but typically looks locally (in a viewport), which magnifies errors. These are tested in two different projection formats ERP and RSP, to check consistency. Performance is tabulated for 1-pass encoding on two fronts: (1) objective performance based on end-to-end (E2E) metrics such as SPSNR-NN, and WS-PSNR, currently developed in the JVET committee; and (2) informal subjective assessment of static viewports. Constant quality encoding is performed with all the three codecs for an unbiased comparison of the core coding tools. Our general conclusion is that under constant quality coding, AV1 underperforms HEVC, which underperforms JVET. We also test with rate control, where AV1 currently underperforms the open source X265 HEVC codec. Objective and visual evidence is provided.

Direct-to-digital holography reduction of reference hologram noise and fourier space smearing

DOEpatents

Voelkl, Edgar

2006-06-27

Systems and methods are described for reduction of reference hologram noise and reduction of Fourier space smearing, especially in the context of direct-to-digital holography (off-axis interferometry). A method of reducing reference hologram noise includes: recording a plurality of reference holograms; processing the plurality of reference holograms into a corresponding plurality of reference image waves; and transforming the corresponding plurality of reference image waves into a reduced noise reference image wave. A method of reducing smearing in Fourier space includes: recording a plurality of reference holograms; processing the plurality of reference holograms into a corresponding plurality of reference complex image waves; transforming the corresponding plurality of reference image waves into a reduced noise reference complex image wave; recording a hologram of an object; processing the hologram of the object into an object complex image wave; and dividing the complex image wave of the object by the reduced noise reference complex image wave to obtain a reduced smearing object complex image wave.

Broadband set-top box using MAP-CA processor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, John E.; Lee, Woobin; Basoglu, Chris

2001-12-01

Advances in broadband access are expected to exert a profound impact in our everyday life. It will be the key to the digital convergence of communication, computer and consumer equipment. A common thread that facilitates this convergence comprises digital media and Internet. To address this market, Equator Technologies, Inc., is developing the Dolphin broadband set-top box reference platform using its MAP-CA Broadband Signal ProcessorT chip. The Dolphin reference platform is a universal media platform for display and presentation of digital contents on end-user entertainment systems. The objective of the Dolphin reference platform is to provide a complete set-top box system based on the MAP-CA processor. It includes all the necessary hardware and software components for the emerging broadcast and the broadband digital media market based on IP protocols. Such reference design requires a broadband Internet access and high-performance digital signal processing. By using the MAP-CA processor, the Dolphin reference platform is completely programmable, allowing various codecs to be implemented in software, such as MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263 and proprietary codecs. The software implementation also enables field upgrades to keep pace with evolving technology and industry demands.

Processing the presence, placement, and properties of a distractor in spatial language tasks.

PubMed

Carlson, Laura A; Hill, Patrick L

2008-03-01

A common way to describe the location of an object is to spatially relate it to a nearby object. For such descriptions, the object being described is referred to as the located object; the object to which it is spatially related is referred to as the reference object. Typically, however, there are many nearby objects (distractors), resulting in the need for selection. We report three experiments that examine the extent to which a distractor in the display is processed during the selection of a reference object. Using acceptability ratings and production measures, we show that the presence and the placement ofa distractor have a significant impact on the assessment of the spatial relation between the located and reference objects; there is also evidence that the properties of the distractor are processed, but only under limited conditions. One implication is that the dimension that is most relevant to reference object selection is its spatial relation to the located object, rather than its salience with respect to other objects in the display.

[Psychoactive drug advertising: analysis of scientific information].

PubMed

Mastroianni, Patrícia C; Noto, Ana Regina; Galduróz, José Carlos F

2008-06-01

According to the World Health Organization, medicinal drug promotion should be reliable, accurate, truthful, informative, balanced, up-to-date and capable of substantiation. The objective of the present study was to review psychoactive drug advertisements to physicians as for information consistency with the related references and accessibility of the cited references. Data was collected in the city of Araraquara, Southeastern Brazil, in 2005. There were collected and reviewed 152 drug advertisements, a total of 304 references. References were requested directly from pharmaceutical companies' customer services and searched in UNESP (Ibict, Athenas) and BIREME (SciELO, PubMed, free-access indexed journals) library network and CAPES journals. Advertisement statements were checked against references using content analysis. Of all references cited in the advertisements studied, 66.7% were accessed. Of 639 promotional statements identified, 346 (54%) were analyzed. The analysis showed that 67.7% of promotional statements in the advertisements were consistent with their references, while the remaining was either partially consistent or inconsistent. Of the material analyzed, an average 2.5 (1-28) references was cited per advertisement. In the text body, there were identified 639 pieces of information clearly associated with at least one cited reference (average 3.5 pieces of information per advertisement). The study results evidenced difficult access to the references. Messages on efficacy, safety and cost, among others, are not always supported by scientific studies. There is a need for regulation changes and effective monitoring of drug promotional materials.

Repetition Blindness for Natural Images of Objects with Viewpoint Changes

PubMed Central

Buffat, Stéphane; Plantier, Justin; Roumes, Corinne; Lorenceau, Jean

2013-01-01

When stimuli are repeated in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), observers sometimes fail to report the second occurrence of a target. This phenomenon is referred to as “repetition blindness” (RB). We report an RSVP experiment with photographs in which we manipulated object viewpoints between the first and second occurrences of a target (0°, 45°, or 90° changes), and spatial frequency (SF) content. Natural images were spatially filtered to produce low, medium, or high SF stimuli. RB was observed for all filtering conditions. Surprisingly, for full-spectrum (FS) images, RB increased significantly as the viewpoint reached 90°. For filtered images, a similar pattern of results was found for all conditions except for medium SF stimuli. These findings suggest that object recognition in RSVP are subtended by viewpoint-specific representations for all spatial frequencies except medium ones. PMID:23346069

Analysis of the trauma section of the orthopaedic in-training examination.

PubMed

Taylor, Benjamin C; Fowler, T Ty

2011-07-07

The Orthopaedic In-Training Examination is a comprehensive test produced annually by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and was first administered in 1963. At the time of the examination's conception, its objectives were to: (1) measure the knowledge of orthopedic residents and provide objective comparisons; (2) help determine acceptable minimal standards for trainees; and (3) help provide an objective assessment of orthopedic education. We retrospectively reviewed all Orthopaedic In-Training Examinations from 2004 to 2008, with particular focus on the questions listed in the musculoskeletal trauma domain on each year's program director report. The musculoskeletal trauma domain, including topics, recommended answers, and references, was reviewed to provide an educational resource for residents and residency programs when studying or designing educational curricula. The information in this analysis may help in development of a core musculoskeletal trauma knowledge base or facilitate determination of appropriate journal club and didactic lecture content. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Systematic comparative content analysis of 17 psychosocial work environment questionnaires using a new taxonomy

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Many questionnaires have been developed to measure how psychosocial characteristics are perceived in a work environment. But the content validity of these questionnaires has rarely been questioned due to the absence of a reference taxonomy for characteristics of work environments. Objectives To propose an exhaustive taxonomy of work environment characteristics involved in psychosocial risks and to apply this taxonomy to questionnaires on workplace psychosocial factors. Methods The taxonomy was developed by categorizing factors present in the main theoretical models of the field. Questionnaire items most frequently cited in scientific literature were retained for classification. Results The taxonomy was structured into four hierarchical levels and comprises 53 categories. The 17 questionnaires analyzed included 927 items: 59 from the “physical environment” category, 116 from the “social environment” category, 236 from the “work activity” category, 255 from the “activity management” category, and 174 from the “organizational context” category. Conclusions There are major content differences among analyzed questionnaires. This study offers a means for selecting a scale on the basis of content. PMID:27367232

A content validity study of signs, symptoms and diseases/health problems expressed in LIBRAS1

PubMed Central

Aragão, Jamilly da Silva; de França, Inacia Sátiro Xavier; Coura, Alexsandro Silva; de Sousa, Francisco Stélio; Batista, Joana D'arc Lyra; Magalhães, Isabella Medeiros de Oliveira

2015-01-01

Objectives: to validate the content of signs, symptoms and diseases/health problems expressed in LIBRAS for people with deafness Method: methodological development study, which involved 36 people with deafness and three LIBRAS specialists. The study was conducted in three stages: investigation of the signs, symptoms and diseases/health problems, referred to by people with deafness, reported in a questionnaire; video recordings of how people with deafness express, through LIBRA, the signs, symptoms and diseases/health problems; and validation of the contents of the recordings of the expressions by LIBRAS specialists. Data were processed in a spreadsheet and analyzed using univariate tables, with absolute frequencies and percentages. The validation results were analyzed using the Content Validity Index (CVI). Results: 33 expressions in LIBRAS, of signs, symptoms and diseases/health problems were evaluated, and 28 expressions obtained a satisfactory CVI (1.00). Conclusions: the signs, symptoms and diseases/health problems expressed in LIBRAS presented validity, in the study region, for health professionals, especially nurses, for use in the clinical anamnesis of the nursing consultation for people with deafness. PMID:26625991

The relationship between the carcass characteristics and meat composition of young Simmental beef cattle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ćirić, J.; Lukić, M.; Radulović, S.; Janjić, J.; Glamočlija, N.; Marković, R.; Baltić, M. Ž.

2017-09-01

The objective was to study the relationships between the carcass characteristics and meat composition of young Simmental beef, classified with regard to conformation and degree of fatness scores, and total lipid content, depending on gender. For this purpose, 90 animals (60 male and 30 female Simmental beef cattle) were analysed. The results of the study showed that gender affected carcass measurement scores and chemical composition of meat through its important effect on overall animal fatness. Referring to correlations, male carcass conformation score was negatively related to slaughter weight, total lipid content and fatness score. On the other hand, slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weight, dressing percentage and carcass conformation was positively related to fatness score, all of them being significant. However, female carcass conformation score was positively related to slaughter weight, total lipid content and fatness score. Hot and cold carcass weights of female Simmental beef cattle were positively correlated to slaughter weight, total lipid content and carcass conformation score. Carcass conformation score and fatness score were affected by gender of young Simmental beef cattle.

The Use of Electronic Mail in Biomedical Communication

PubMed Central

Costello, Richard; Shaw, Anthony; Cheetham, Roz; Moots, Robert J.

2000-01-01

Objectives: To determine whether there are statistically significant differences in the content of electronic mail (e-mail) and conventional mail sent to authors of papers published in medical journals. Design: Prospective study by postal questionnaire. Over two one-month periods, corresponding authors of papers published in medical journals were asked to record details of the correspondence prompted by their publications. Measurements: Conventional and e-mail correspondence received. Reprint requests. Content of correspondence. Quality of correspondence. Results: Eighty-two of 96 authors replied. Fifty received e-mail (mean, 5.7 ± 8.8 e-mails per author) and 72 received conventional mail (15.5 ± 32.8 letters per author) (p ≪ 0.05). Seventy percent of e-mails and only 53% of correspondence sent by conventional mail (p ≪ 0.05) referred to the content of the paper. Conclusions: Publication in general medical journals stimulates more conventional than electronic mail. However, the content of e-mail may be of greater scientific relevance. Electronic mail can be encouraged without fear of diminishing the quality of the communications received. PMID:10641967

Gradual Reduction in Sodium Content in Cooked Ham, with Corresponding Change in Sensorial Properties Measured by Sensory Evaluation and a Multimodal Machine Vision System

PubMed Central

Greiff, Kirsti; Mathiassen, John Reidar; Misimi, Ekrem; Hersleth, Margrethe; Aursand, Ida G.

2015-01-01

The European diet today generally contains too much sodium (Na+). A partial substitution of NaCl by KCl has shown to be a promising method for reducing sodium content. The aim of this work was to investigate the sensorial changes of cooked ham with reduced sodium content. Traditional sensorial evaluation and objective multimodal machine vision were used. The salt content in the hams was decreased from 3.4% to 1.4%, and 25% of the Na+ was replaced by K+. The salt reduction had highest influence on the sensory attributes salty taste, after taste, tenderness, hardness and color hue. The multimodal machine vision system showed changes in lightness, as a function of reduced salt content. Compared to the reference ham (3.4% salt), a replacement of Na+-ions by K+-ions of 25% gave no significant changes in WHC, moisture, pH, expressed moisture, the sensory profile attributes or the surface lightness and shininess. A further reduction of salt down to 1.7–1.4% salt, led to a decrease in WHC and an increase in expressible moisture. PMID:26422367

Gradual Reduction in Sodium Content in Cooked Ham, with Corresponding Change in Sensorial Properties Measured by Sensory Evaluation and a Multimodal Machine Vision System.

PubMed

Greiff, Kirsti; Mathiassen, John Reidar; Misimi, Ekrem; Hersleth, Margrethe; Aursand, Ida G

2015-01-01

The European diet today generally contains too much sodium (Na(+)). A partial substitution of NaCl by KCl has shown to be a promising method for reducing sodium content. The aim of this work was to investigate the sensorial changes of cooked ham with reduced sodium content. Traditional sensorial evaluation and objective multimodal machine vision were used. The salt content in the hams was decreased from 3.4% to 1.4%, and 25% of the Na(+) was replaced by K(+). The salt reduction had highest influence on the sensory attributes salty taste, after taste, tenderness, hardness and color hue. The multimodal machine vision system showed changes in lightness, as a function of reduced salt content. Compared to the reference ham (3.4% salt), a replacement of Na(+)-ions by K(+)-ions of 25% gave no significant changes in WHC, moisture, pH, expressed moisture, the sensory profile attributes or the surface lightness and shininess. A further reduction of salt down to 1.7-1.4% salt, led to a decrease in WHC and an increase in expressible moisture.

Information Object Definition–based Unified Modeling Language Representation of DICOM Structured Reporting

PubMed Central

Tirado-Ramos, Alfredo; Hu, Jingkun; Lee, K.P.

2002-01-01

Supplement 23 to DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications for Medicine), Structured Reporting, is a specification that supports a semantically rich representation of image and waveform content, enabling experts to share image and related patient information. DICOM SR supports the representation of textual and coded data linked to images and waveforms. Nevertheless, the medical information technology community needs models that work as bridges between the DICOM relational model and open object-oriented technologies. The authors assert that representations of the DICOM Structured Reporting standard, using object-oriented modeling languages such as the Unified Modeling Language, can provide a high-level reference view of the semantically rich framework of DICOM and its complex structures. They have produced an object-oriented model to represent the DICOM SR standard and have derived XML-exchangeable representations of this model using World Wide Web Consortium specifications. They expect the model to benefit developers and system architects who are interested in developing applications that are compliant with the DICOM SR specification. PMID:11751804

Designing Inquiry Starters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kluger-Bell, B.

2010-12-01

The term "Inquiry Starter" comes from the Institute for Inquiry's model for teaching and learning science through inquiry. It refers to the first phase of an inquiry activity where learners engage in actions that stimulate their curiosity and generate questions for further investigation. In the Professional Development Program, staff and participants have designed a wide variety of inquiry activities with a number of variations on the inquiry starter. This has provided a laboratory for examining inquiry starter design. In this paper, I describe and examine in detail the elements of this design and how the design of those elements is related to achieving learning objectives. There are a number of important common objectives in all inquiry starters. For example, all starters must define a domain for investigation and engage the learner's curiosity in that domain. There are also critical differences in learning objectives depending on the content area being studied, the learners' background knowledge and skills, and many other factors. In this paper I examine designs for both of these types of objectives.

Underestimating Calorie Content When Healthy Foods Are Present: An Averaging Effect or a Reference-Dependent Anchoring Effect?

PubMed Central

Forwood, Suzanna E.; Ahern, Amy; Hollands, Gareth J.; Fletcher, Paul C.; Marteau, Theresa M.

2013-01-01

Objective Previous studies have shown that estimations of the calorie content of an unhealthy main meal food tend to be lower when the food is shown alongside a healthy item (e.g. fruit or vegetables) than when shown alone. This effect has been called the negative calorie illusion and has been attributed to averaging the unhealthy (vice) and healthy (virtue) foods leading to increased perceived healthiness and reduced calorie estimates. The current study aimed to replicate and extend these findings to test the hypothesized mediating effect of ratings of healthiness of foods on calorie estimates. Methods In three online studies, participants were invited to make calorie estimates of combinations of foods. Healthiness ratings of the food were also assessed. Results The first two studies failed to replicate the negative calorie illusion. In a final study, the use of a reference food, closely following a procedure from a previously published study, did elicit a negative calorie illusion. No evidence was found for a mediating role of healthiness estimates. Conclusion The negative calorie illusion appears to be a function of the contrast between a food being judged and a reference, supporting the hypothesis that the negative calorie illusion arises from the use of a reference-dependent anchoring and adjustment heuristic and not from an ‘averaging’ effect, as initially proposed. This finding is consistent with existing data on sequential calorie estimates, and highlights a significant impact of the order in which foods are viewed on how foods are evaluated. PMID:23967216

Measuring use of research evidence in public health policy: a policy content analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background There are few Australian studies showing how research evidence is used to inform the development of public health policy. International research has shown that compensation for injury rehabilitation can have negative impacts on health outcomes. This study examined transport injury compensation policy in the Australian state of Victoria to: determine type and purpose of reference to information sources; and to identify the extent of reference to academic research evidence in transport related injury rehabilitation compensation policy. Methods Quantitative content analysis of injury rehabilitation compensation policies (N = 128) from the Victorian state government transport accident compensation authority. Results The most commonly referenced types of information were Internal Policy (median = 6 references per policy), Clinical/Medical (2.5), and Internal Legislation (1). Academic Research Evidence was the least often referenced source of information. The main purpose of reference to information was to support injury treatment and rehabilitation compensation claims decision-making. Conclusions Transport injury compensation policy development is complex; with multiple sources of information cited including legislation, internal policy, external policy and clinical/medical evidence. There is limited use of academic research evidence in Victorian state government injury treatment and rehabilitation compensation policies. Decisions regarding compensation for injury treatment and rehabilitation services could benefit from greater use of academic research evidence. This study is one of the first to examine the use of research evidence in existing Australian public health policy decision-making using rigorous quantitative methods. It provides a practical example of how use of research evidence in public health policy can be objectively measured. PMID:24886092

Mixed messages

PubMed Central

Chen, Christopher B.; Hall, Kevin; Tsuyuki, Ross T.

2014-01-01

Background: More than 5 years ago, the Blueprint for Pharmacy developed a plan for transitioning pharmacy practice toward more patient-centred care. Much of the strategy for change involves communicating the new vision. Objective: To evaluate the communication of the Vision for Pharmacy by the organizations and corporations that signed the Blueprint for Pharmacy’s Commitment to Act. Methods: The list of 88 signatories of the Commitment to Act was obtained from the Blueprint for Pharmacy document. The website of each of these signatories was searched for all references to the Blueprint for Pharmacy or Vision for Pharmacy. Each of the identified references was then analyzed using summative content analysis. Results: A total of 934 references were identified from the webpages of the 88 signatories. Of these references, 549 were merely links to the Blueprint for Pharmacy’s website, 350 of the references provided some detailed information about the Blueprint for Pharmacy and only 35 references provided any specific plans to transition pharmacy practice. Conclusion: Widespread proliferation of the Vision for Pharmacy has not been achieved. One possible explanation for this is that communication of the vision by the signatories has been incomplete. To ensure the success of future communications, change leaders must develop strategies that consider how individual pharmacists and pharmacies understand the message. PMID:24660012

Functional correlates of the lateral and medial entorhinal cortex: objects, path integration and local-global reference frames.

PubMed

Knierim, James J; Neunuebel, Joshua P; Deshmukh, Sachin S

2014-02-05

The hippocampus receives its major cortical input from the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC). It is commonly believed that the MEC provides spatial input to the hippocampus, whereas the LEC provides non-spatial input. We review new data which suggest that this simple dichotomy between 'where' versus 'what' needs revision. We propose a refinement of this model, which is more complex than the simple spatial-non-spatial dichotomy. MEC is proposed to be involved in path integration computations based on a global frame of reference, primarily using internally generated, self-motion cues and external input about environmental boundaries and scenes; it provides the hippocampus with a coordinate system that underlies the spatial context of an experience. LEC is proposed to process information about individual items and locations based on a local frame of reference, primarily using external sensory input; it provides the hippocampus with information about the content of an experience.

Functional correlates of the lateral and medial entorhinal cortex: objects, path integration and local–global reference frames

PubMed Central

Knierim, James J.; Neunuebel, Joshua P.; Deshmukh, Sachin S.

2014-01-01

The hippocampus receives its major cortical input from the medial entorhinal cortex (MEC) and the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC). It is commonly believed that the MEC provides spatial input to the hippocampus, whereas the LEC provides non-spatial input. We review new data which suggest that this simple dichotomy between ‘where’ versus ‘what’ needs revision. We propose a refinement of this model, which is more complex than the simple spatial–non-spatial dichotomy. MEC is proposed to be involved in path integration computations based on a global frame of reference, primarily using internally generated, self-motion cues and external input about environmental boundaries and scenes; it provides the hippocampus with a coordinate system that underlies the spatial context of an experience. LEC is proposed to process information about individual items and locations based on a local frame of reference, primarily using external sensory input; it provides the hippocampus with information about the content of an experience. PMID:24366146

Passive serialization in a multitasking environment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hennessey, J.P.; Osisek, D.L.; Seigh, J.W. II

1989-02-28

In a multiprocessing system having a control program in which data objects are shared among processes, this patent describes a method for serializing references to a data object by the processes so as to prevent invalid references to the data object by any process when an operation requiring exclusive access is performed by another process, comprising the steps of: permitting the processes to reference data objects on a shared access basis without obtaining a shared lock; monitoring a point of execution of the control program which is common to all processes in the system, which occurs regularly in the process'more » execution and across which no references to any data object can be maintained by any process, except references using locks; establishing a system reference point which occurs after each process in the system has passed the point of execution at least once since the last such system reference point; requesting an operation requiring exclusive access on a selected data object; preventing subsequent references by other processes to the selected data object; waiting until two of the system references points have occurred; and then performing the requested operation.« less

Consumer Education: Consumer Education I and Consumer Education II. Course Objectives, Content Analysis, Supporting Objectives and Content Generalizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Karen, Comp.; Martin, Joan, Ed.

Consumer education course objectives, content analysis, supporting objectives, and content generalizations are presented in this teacher's guide for Consumer Education 1 and 2 for the San Diego Unified School District. Course objectives are aimed at several areas of consumer and family studies: consumer education, cultural awareness, human…

Smooth handling: The lack of safety‐related consumer information in car advertisements

PubMed Central

Wilson, Nick; Maher, Anthony; Thomson, George; Keall, Michael

2007-01-01

Objective To examine the content and trends of safety‐related consumer information in magazine vehicle advertisements, as a case study within the worldwide marketing of vehicles. Methods Content analysis of popular current affairs magazines in New Zealand for the 5‐year period 2001–2005 was undertaken (n  =  514 advertisements), supplemented with vehicle data from official websites. Results Safety information in advertisements for light passenger vehicles was relatively uncommon with only 27% mentioning one or more of nine key safety features examined (average: 1.7 out of nine features in this 27%). Also included were potentially hazardous features of: speed imagery (in 29% of advertisements), power references (14%), and acceleration data (4%). The speed and power aspects became relatively more common over the 5‐year period (p < 0.05 for trend). Conclusions To enhance informed consumer choice and improve injury prevention, governments should consider regulating the content of vehicle advertisements and vehicle marketing – as already occurs with many other consumer products. PMID:17916885

Evaluation and modeling of aerodynamic properties of mung bean seeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahbazi, Feizollah

2015-01-01

Aerodynamic properties of solid materials have long been used to convey and separate seeds and grains during post harvest operations. The objective of this study was the evaluation of the aerodynamic properties of mung bean seeds as a function of moisture content and two grades referred to above and below a cut point of 4.8 mm in length. The results showed that as the moisture content increased from 7.8 to 25% (w.b.), the terminal velocity of seeds increased following a polynomial relationship, from 7.28 to 8.79 and 6.02 to 7.12 m s-1, for grades A and B, respectively. Seeds at grade A had terminal velocities with a mean value of 8.05 m s-1, while at grade B had a mean value of 6.46 m s-1. The Reynolds number of both grades increased linearly with the increase of seeds moisture content, while the drag coefficient decreased with the increase of moisture content. Mathematical relationships were developed to relate the change in seeds moisture content with the obtained values of aerodynamic properties. The analysis of variance showed that moisture content had a significant effect, at 1% probability level, on all the aerodynamics properties of mung beans.

Document creation, linking, and maintenance system

DOEpatents

Claghorn, Ronald [Pasco, WA

2011-02-15

A document creation and citation system designed to maintain a database of reference documents. The content of a selected document may be automatically scanned and indexed by the system. The selected documents may also be manually indexed by a user prior to the upload. The indexed documents may be uploaded and stored within a database for later use. The system allows a user to generate new documents by selecting content within the reference documents stored within the database and inserting the selected content into a new document. The system allows the user to customize and augment the content of the new document. The system also generates citations to the selected content retrieved from the reference documents. The citations may be inserted into the new document in the appropriate location and format, as directed by the user. The new document may be uploaded into the database and included with the other reference documents. The system also maintains the database of reference documents so that when changes are made to a reference document, the author of a document referencing the changed document will be alerted to make appropriate changes to his document. The system also allows visual comparison of documents so that the user may see differences in the text of the documents.

An improved synchronous reference frame current control strategy for a photovoltaic grid-connected inverter under unbalanced and nonlinear load conditions.

PubMed

Naderipour, Amirreza; Asuhaimi Mohd Zin, Abdullah; Bin Habibuddin, Mohd Hafiz; Miveh, Mohammad Reza; Guerrero, Josep M

2017-01-01

In recent years, renewable energy sources have been considered the most encouraging resources for grid and off-grid power generation. This paper presents an improved current control strategy for a three-phase photovoltaic grid-connected inverter (GCI) under unbalanced and nonlinear load conditions. It is challenging to suppress the harmonic content in the output current below a pre-set value in the GCI. It is also difficult to compensate for unbalanced loads even when the grid is under disruption due to total harmonic distortion (THD) and unbalanced loads. The primary advantage and objective of this method is to effectively compensate for the harmonic current content of the grid current and microgrid without the use of any compensation devices, such as active and passive filters. This method leads to a very low THD in both the GCI currents and the current exchanged with the grid. The control approach is designed to control the active and reactive power and harmonic current compensation, and it also corrects the system unbalance. The proposed control method features the synchronous reference frame (SRF) method. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effective performance of the proposed method.

An improved synchronous reference frame current control strategy for a photovoltaic grid-connected inverter under unbalanced and nonlinear load conditions

PubMed Central

Naderipour, Amirreza; Asuhaimi Mohd Zin, Abdullah; Bin Habibuddin, Mohd Hafiz; Miveh, Mohammad Reza; Guerrero, Josep M.

2017-01-01

In recent years, renewable energy sources have been considered the most encouraging resources for grid and off-grid power generation. This paper presents an improved current control strategy for a three-phase photovoltaic grid-connected inverter (GCI) under unbalanced and nonlinear load conditions. It is challenging to suppress the harmonic content in the output current below a pre-set value in the GCI. It is also difficult to compensate for unbalanced loads even when the grid is under disruption due to total harmonic distortion (THD) and unbalanced loads. The primary advantage and objective of this method is to effectively compensate for the harmonic current content of the grid current and microgrid without the use of any compensation devices, such as active and passive filters. This method leads to a very low THD in both the GCI currents and the current exchanged with the grid. The control approach is designed to control the active and reactive power and harmonic current compensation, and it also corrects the system unbalance. The proposed control method features the synchronous reference frame (SRF) method. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effective performance of the proposed method. PMID:28192436

40 CFR 63.805 - Performance test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Collection of Coating and Ink Samples for VOC Content Analysis by Reference Method 24 and Reference Method... determine the VHAP content of the liquid coating. Formulation data shall be used to identify VHAP present in... the solids content by weight and the density of coatings. If it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of...

Food references in UK children's magazines - an oral health perspective.

PubMed

Chapman, K J; Fairchild, R M; Morgan, M Z

2014-11-01

Children's magazines are popular in the United Kingdom, but their content is poorly regulated. Consequently, food and beverages high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), detrimental to oral and wider health, make unrestricted appearances. The study aim was to assess the amount of HFSS food and drink children are exposed to while reading magazines; with particular focus on foods containing free sugars due to their known cariogenic properties, and foods with low pH due to their erosive potential. Eleven of the most popular UK children's magazines were selected and purchased at four separate time points in 2012. These 44 magazines were examined using content analysis; any references to food/beverages (in advertisements, free gifts, editorial and general content) were recorded. Of the 508 food references observed, 73.6% (374/508) were for foods detrimental to oral health owing to their high sugar and/or acid content. 5.9% (30/508) were considered 'unhealthy' due to their fat or salt content. 20.5% of references were for 'healthy' foods (104/508). The most common food categories referenced were baked goods (181/508) and sweets (86/508). Over a third (36.4%, 16/44) of magazines came with free sweets. In terms of positioning, the food/drink references were predominantly found in the general content of the magazines, including the editorial spreads. Direct advertisements for food/drink only accounted for 9.6% (36/374) of the total number of references counted. Food references within children's magazines are biased towards unhealthy foods especially those detrimental to oral health; these permeate throughout the general and editorial content and are not restricted to direct advertisements. Magazine editors, journalists and illustrators are responsible for the editorial and general content of magazines. Without regulation, subliminal placement of advertisements within editorial and general content leads to 'advertorials' which are known to confuse children and parents alike. This study concludes that regulation may therefore need to cover more than just the direct advertisements. Dental professionals need to be aware of current trends in children's media when giving health education advice or designing health promotion initiatives.

Associations between displayed alcohol references on Facebook and problem drinking among college students

PubMed Central

Moreno, Megan A; Christakis, Dimitri A; Egan, Katie G; Brockman, Libby N; Becker, Tara

2011-01-01

Objective Alcohol screening is uncommon among college students; however, many students display references to alcohol on Facebook. The objective of this study was to examine associations between displayed alcohol use and intoxication/problem drinking (I/PD) references on Facebook and self-reported problem drinking using a clinical scale. Design Content analysis and cross-sectional survey Setting www.Facebook.com Participants Undergraduate students from two state universities between the ages of 18 and 20 with public Facebook profiles Main exposures Profiles were categorized into one of three distinct categories: Non-Displayers, Alcohol Displayers and Intoxication/Problem Drinking (I/PD) Displayers. Outcome measures An online survey measured problem drinking using the AUDIT scale. Analyses examined associations between alcohol display category and 1) AUDIT problem drinking category using logistic regression, 2) AUDIT score using negative binomial regression, and 3) alcohol-related injury using Fisher’s exact test. Results Of 307 profiles identified, 224 participants completed the survey (73% response rate). The average age was 18.8 years, 122 (54%) were female, 152 (68%) were Caucasian, and approximately half were from each university. Profile owners who displayed I/PD were more likely (OR=4.4 [95% CI 2.0-9.4]) to score in the problem drinking category of the AUDIT scale, had 64% (IRR=1.64 [95% CI: 1.27-11.0] higher AUDIT scores overall and were more likely to report an alcohol-related injury in the past year (p=0.002). Conclusions Displayed references to I/PD were positively associated with AUDIT scores suggesting problem drinking as well as alcohol-related injury. Results suggest that clinical criteria for problem drinking can be applied to Facebook alcohol references. PMID:21969360

[The water content reference material of water saturated octanol].

PubMed

Wang, Haifeng; Ma, Kang; Zhang, Wei; Li, Zhanyuan

2011-03-01

The national standards of biofuels specify the technique specification and analytical methods. A water content certified reference material based on the water saturated octanol was developed in order to satisfy the needs of the instrument calibration and the methods validation, assure the accuracy and consistency of results in water content measurements of biofuels. Three analytical methods based on different theories were employed to certify the water content of the reference material, including Karl Fischer coulometric titration, Karl Fischer volumetric titration and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance. The consistency of coulometric and volumetric titration was achieved through the improvement of methods. The accuracy of the certified result was improved by the introduction of the new method of quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance. Finally, the certified value of reference material is 4.76% with an expanded uncertainty of 0.09%.

Method and apparatus for detecting internal structures of bulk objects using acoustic imaging

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.; Telschow, Kenneth L.

2002-01-01

Apparatus for producing an acoustic image of an object according to the present invention may comprise an excitation source for vibrating the object to produce at least one acoustic wave therein. The acoustic wave results in the formation of at least one surface displacement on the surface of the object. A light source produces an optical object wavefront and an optical reference wavefront and directs the optical object wavefront toward the surface of the object to produce a modulated optical object wavefront. A modulator operatively associated with the optical reference wavefront modulates the optical reference wavefront in synchronization with the acoustic wave to produce a modulated optical reference wavefront. A sensing medium positioned to receive the modulated optical object wavefront and the modulated optical reference wavefront combines the modulated optical object and reference wavefronts to produce an image related to the surface displacement on the surface of the object. A detector detects the image related to the surface displacement produced by the sensing medium. A processing system operatively associated with the detector constructs an acoustic image of interior features of the object based on the phase and amplitude of the surface displacement on the surface of the object.

Frequency and content analysis of chronic fatigue syndrome in medical text books.

PubMed

Jason, Leonard A; Paavola, Erin; Porter, Nicole; Morello, Morgan L

2010-01-01

Text books are a cornerstone in the training of medical staff and students, and they are an important source of references and reviews for these professionals. The objective of this study was to determine both the quantity and quality of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) information included in medical texts. After reviewing 119 medical text books from various medical specialties, we found that 48 (40.3%) of the medical text books included information on CFS. However, among the 129 527 total pages within these medical text books, the CFS content was presented on only 116.3 (0.090%) pages. Other illnesses that are less prevalent, such as multiple sclerosis and Lyme disease, were more frequently represented in medical text books. These findings suggest that the topic ofCFS is underreported in published medical text books.

mEducator: A Best Practice Network for Repurposing and Sharing Medical Educational Multi-type Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamidis, Panagiotis D.; Kaldoudi, Eleni; Pattichis, Costas

Although there is an abundance of medical educational content available in individual EU academic institutions, this is not widely available or easy to discover and retrieve, due to lack of standardized content sharing mechanisms. The mEducator EU project will face this lack by implementing and experimenting between two different sharing mechanisms, namely, one based one mashup technologies, and one based on semantic web services. In addition, the mEducator best practice network will critically evaluate existing standards and reference models in the field of e-learning in order to enable specialized state-of-the-art medical educational content to be discovered, retrieved, shared, repurposed and re-used across European higher academic institutions. Educational content included in mEducator covers and represents the whole range of medical educational content, from traditional instructional teaching to active learning and experiential teaching/studying approaches. It spans the whole range of types, from text to exam sheets, algorithms, teaching files, computer programs (simulators or games) and interactive objects (like virtual patients and electronically traced anatomies), while it covers a variety of topics. In this paper, apart from introducing the relevant project concepts and strategies, emphasis is also placed on the notion of (dynamic) user-generated content, its advantages and peculiarities, as well as, gaps in current research and technology practice upon its embedding into existing standards.

Development of a quantitative morphological assessment of toxicant-treated zebrafish larvae using brightfield imaging and high-content analysis.

PubMed

Deal, Samantha; Wambaugh, John; Judson, Richard; Mosher, Shad; Radio, Nick; Houck, Keith; Padilla, Stephanie

2016-09-01

One of the rate-limiting procedures in a developmental zebrafish screen is the morphological assessment of each larva. Most researchers opt for a time-consuming, structured visual assessment by trained human observer(s). The present studies were designed to develop a more objective, accurate and rapid method for screening zebrafish for dysmorphology. Instead of the very detailed human assessment, we have developed the computational malformation index, which combines the use of high-content imaging with a very brief human visual assessment. Each larva was quickly assessed by a human observer (basic visual assessment), killed, fixed and assessed for dysmorphology with the Zebratox V4 BioApplication using the Cellomics® ArrayScan® V(TI) high-content image analysis platform. The basic visual assessment adds in-life parameters, and the high-content analysis assesses each individual larva for various features (total area, width, spine length, head-tail length, length-width ratio, perimeter-area ratio). In developing the computational malformation index, a training set of hundreds of embryos treated with hundreds of chemicals were visually assessed using the basic or detailed method. In the second phase, we assessed both the stability of these high-content measurements and its performance using a test set of zebrafish treated with a dose range of two reference chemicals (trans-retinoic acid or cadmium). We found the measures were stable for at least 1 week and comparison of these automated measures to detailed visual inspection of the larvae showed excellent congruence. Our computational malformation index provides an objective manner for rapid phenotypic brightfield assessment of individual larva in a developmental zebrafish assay. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Scholarly Context Adrift: Three out of Four URI References Lead to Changed Content

PubMed Central

Tobin, Richard; Grover, Claire

2016-01-01

Increasingly, scholarly articles contain URI references to “web at large” resources including project web sites, scholarly wikis, ontologies, online debates, presentations, blogs, and videos. Authors reference such resources to provide essential context for the research they report on. A reader who visits a web at large resource by following a URI reference in an article, some time after its publication, is led to believe that the resource’s content is representative of what the author originally referenced. However, due to the dynamic nature of the web, that may very well not be the case. We reuse a dataset from a previous study in which several authors of this paper were involved, and investigate to what extent the textual content of web at large resources referenced in a vast collection of Science, Technology, and Medicine (STM) articles published between 1997 and 2012 has remained stable since the publication of the referencing article. We do so in a two-step approach that relies on various well-established similarity measures to compare textual content. In a first step, we use 19 web archives to find snapshots of referenced web at large resources that have textual content that is representative of the state of the resource around the time of publication of the referencing paper. We find that representative snapshots exist for about 30% of all URI references. In a second step, we compare the textual content of representative snapshots with that of their live web counterparts. We find that for over 75% of references the content has drifted away from what it was when referenced. These results raise significant concerns regarding the long term integrity of the web-based scholarly record and call for the deployment of techniques to combat these problems. PMID:27911955

Radioisotope Power Systems Reference Book for Mission Designers and Planners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Young; Bairstow, Brian

2015-01-01

The RPS Program's Program Planning and Assessment (PPA) Office commissioned the Mission Analysis team to develop the Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Reference Book for Mission Planners and Designers to define a baseline of RPS technology capabilities with specific emphasis on performance parameters and technology readiness. The main objective of this book is to provide RPS technology information that could be utilized by future mission concept studies and concurrent engineering practices. A progress summary from the major branches of RPS technology research provides mission analysis teams with a vital tool for assessing the RPS trade space, and provides concurrent engineering centers with a consistent set of guidelines for RPS performance characteristics. This book will be iterated when substantial new information becomes available to ensure continued relevance, serving as one of the cornerstone products of the RPS PPA Office. This book updates the original 2011 internal document, using data from the relevant publicly released RPS technology references and consultations with RPS technologists. Each performance parameter and RPS product subsection has been reviewed and cleared by at least one subject matter representative. A virtual workshop was held to reach consensus on the scope and contents of the book, and the definitions and assumptions that should be used. The subject matter experts then reviewed and updated the appropriate sections of the book. The RPS Mission Analysis Team then performed further updates and crosschecked the book for consistency. Finally, a second virtual workshop was held to ensure all subject matter experts and stakeholders concurred on the contents.

Print and online newspaper coverage of the link between HPV and oral cancer in the UK: a mixed-methods study

PubMed Central

Dodd, Rachael H; Marlow, Laura A V; Forster, Alice S; Waller, Jo

2016-01-01

Objectives The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in some oral cancers has been reported in the news press, though little is known about the content of these articles. This study aimed to examine how frequently the link between HPV and oral cancer has been reported in the news press and to examine the content of these articles. Design UK media articles were searched for articles relating to oral cancer and HPV in the database NexisUK. Of 854 articles identified by the initial search, 112 were eligible for inclusion (2002–2014) and content analysis was used to determine the main themes discussed. Results Themes included actor Michael Douglas’ claim that his throat cancer was caused by HPV, the riskiness of oral sex, health information (including HPV as a cause of oral cancer) and the need to vaccinate boys against HPV. Many articles also referred to the link between HPV and cervical cancer and the increasing incidence of HPV-related oral cancer. The largest peak in articles occurred when Michael Douglas discussed his cancer (June 2013). Facts about HPV and references to research were provided in some articles. Conclusions The link between HPV and oral cancer and the transmission of HPV via oral sex was regularly discussed, yet coverage often lacked detailed health information. This could increase awareness of the link between oral sex and HPV risk, but may also lead to public concern about oral sex as a sexual behaviour. PMID:26920439

Legal highs on the Internet.

PubMed

Hillebrand, Jennifer; Olszewski, Deborah; Sedefov, Roumen

2010-02-01

This article describes the findings of a descriptive analysis of 27 online drug retailers selling legal alternatives to illegal drugs, commonly referred to as "herbal highs" and "legal highs" in 2008 . The study attempted to quantify the online availability of drug retailers, to describe common products and characteristics in EU-based retail sales. The findings highlight the concern about the lack of objective information about products offered, including potential risks to health. Systems should be developed to assess the contents of products and the accuracy of information provided on the Internet, alongside continued monitoring of this market for "legal high" substances.

Now you see it. Now you don't: fair balance and adequate provision in advertisements for drugs before and after the switch from prescription to over-the-counter.

PubMed

Faerber, Adrienne E; Kreling, David H

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to measure differences in fair balance (benefit and risk statements) and adequate provision (toll-free numbers, Internet URLs, print ad references, and medical professional references) in advertising content for drugs that have switched from prescription to over-the-counter (OTC). The Vanderbilt TV News Archive was used to select products to study, to measure the frequency and placement of ads for those products, and to view advertising content for those products. Unique advertisements (n = 108) for loratadine (Claritin), citirizine (Zyrtec), and omeprazole (Prilosec) were analyzed for the presence of adequate provision statements and for the frequency of benefit, risk, and other statements. OTC ads were shorter than prescription ads by 10.6 seconds but contained the same total number of statements. Most prescription ads (n (RX) = 31) contained toll-free numbers (97%), Internet URLs (94%), medical professional references (100%) and print ad references (68%). Few OTC ads (n (OTC) = 77) contained adequate provision statements: 4% contained toll-free numbers and 10% contained Internet URLs. Prescription ads had similar numbers of benefits (1.5) and risks (1.8) per 30 seconds of ad time, and OTC ads had more benefits (6.6) than risks (1.2) per 30 seconds of ad time. Prescription drug ads contained risk statements that listed specific side effects and explicit harms from taking the product, but OTC ads contained nonspecific risk information and statements that implied risk rather than directly identifying risk. Differences in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulation of advertising affected the balance of risk and benefit information that appeared and the specificity of risk information available.

A policy analysis of teamwork as a proposal for healthcare humanization: implications for nursing.

PubMed

da Silva, R N; de Freitas, F D da S; de Araújo, F P; Ferreira, M de A

2016-12-01

To analyse the implications of the political devices of the Brazilian National Humanization Policy, Singular Therapeutic Project and Reference Team and Matrix Support, for nursing as a professional discipline. The Brazilian Unified Health System, SUS-Brazil, has as its principles regarding health care: universal access at all levels of care; equality and non-discrimination; integrality; community participation; and political and administrative decentralization, regionalization, and hierarchization. The National Humanization Policy is a public health policy that serves as the methodological apparatus for the application of the SUS-Brazil principles. Reference Teams refers to inter- and transdisciplinary/professional teams. These team approaches are associated with increased quality of care. Qualitative lexical content policy analysis of the official documents for the Brazilian National Humanization Policy. The Reference Team model that is used to carry out Singular Therapeutic Projects leads to discussion of disciplinary boundaries in the context of health care. The Brazilian National Humanization Policy demands inclusion of various kinds of knowledge and networking. Research is needed to elucidate the nature of nursing care and its distinctive character in relation to the work objectives of other professional disciplines. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Elaboration and Evaluation of Contents about Hearing Health Inserted in Cybertutor.

PubMed

Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Silva, Ricelly Avila da; Blasca, Wanderléia Quinhoneiro

2014-04-01

Introduction Cybertutor (electronic tutor) is a type of information and communication technology to disseminate knowledge about hearing, aiming at the prevention of hearing alterations and, when needed, early treatment, in addition to social inclusion of the hearing impaired. However, it is important to evaluate the level of language used in the content and the subjective perception of the target public regarding improvements of the tool. Objective To improve content about hearing health inserted in a cybertutor and to evaluate the level of legibility and the quality of the content and material made available. Method For the construction of the content, text and audiovisual resources were used, based on scientific publications, and were evaluated objectively with Flesch Reading Ease test and subjectively with a questionnaire created by the authors and answered by 10 ninth-year pupils. Results Two modules on hearing health were created, "Hearing Health" and "Intervention and Rehabilitation," which received Flesch scores of 50.8 and 51.4%, respectively, making it necessary to have a sixth- to ninth-year education to understand the material. The students' evaluation in reference to language and material showed that 55.5% considered the contents excellent; 38.2% classified the contents as satisfactory; 6.3% considered them reasonable; and 0% classified them as unsatisfactory. Conclusion The contents inserted in the cybertutor about hearing health presented a language level considered easy for the age group of the target population, in addition to receiving good subjective evaluation from the pupils, facilitating access to the information.

Verification testing of the compression performance of the HEVC screen content coding extensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sullivan, Gary J.; Baroncini, Vittorio A.; Yu, Haoping; Joshi, Rajan L.; Liu, Shan; Xiu, Xiaoyu; Xu, Jizheng

2017-09-01

This paper reports on verification testing of the coding performance of the screen content coding (SCC) extensions of the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard (Rec. ITU-T H.265 | ISO/IEC 23008-2 MPEG-H Part 2). The coding performance of HEVC screen content model (SCM) reference software is compared with that of the HEVC test model (HM) without the SCC extensions, as well as with the Advanced Video Coding (AVC) joint model (JM) reference software, for both lossy and mathematically lossless compression using All-Intra (AI), Random Access (RA), and Lowdelay B (LB) encoding structures and using similar encoding techniques. Video test sequences in 1920×1080 RGB 4:4:4, YCbCr 4:4:4, and YCbCr 4:2:0 colour sampling formats with 8 bits per sample are tested in two categories: "text and graphics with motion" (TGM) and "mixed" content. For lossless coding, the encodings are evaluated in terms of relative bit-rate savings. For lossy compression, subjective testing was conducted at 4 quality levels for each coding case, and the test results are presented through mean opinion score (MOS) curves. The relative coding performance is also evaluated in terms of Bjøntegaard-delta (BD) bit-rate savings for equal PSNR quality. The perceptual tests and objective metric measurements show a very substantial benefit in coding efficiency for the SCC extensions, and provided consistent results with a high degree of confidence. For TGM video, the estimated bit-rate savings ranged from 60-90% relative to the JM and 40-80% relative to the HM, depending on the AI/RA/LB configuration category and colour sampling format.

Study of archaeological iron objects by PGAA, Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagner, F. E.; Gebhard, R.; Häusler, W.; Wagner, U.; Albert, P.; Hess, H.; Révay, Z.; Kudejová, P.; Kleszcz, K.

2016-12-01

Archaeological iron objects often corrode rapidly after their excavation, even though they have survived long times of burial in the ground. Chlorine that accumulates during burial is thought to play a major role in this destructive post-excavation corrosion. It is therefore important for the conservation of such objects to determine the chlorine content in a non-destructive manner and, if necessary, to remove the chlorine from the artefacts by appropriate methods. Such methods are leaching in alkaline solutions or heating in a reducing atmosphere at temperatures up to 800 ∘C. We have studied the efficiency of the heating method using prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) for monitoring the Cl content and Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature (RT) and 4.2 K as well as X-ray diffraction to study the mineralogical transformations of the rust layers. The heat treatments were performed a N2/H2 (90/10) mixture at temperatures up to 750 ∘C. As test specimens sections of iron rods from the Celtic oppidum of Manching (Bavaria) were used. The initial Cl contents of the pieces varied in the range of several hundred ppm, referring to the iron mass. Annealing for 24 h at 350, 550 and 750 ∘C was found to reduce the Cl contents of the specimens, to about 70, 30 and 15 % of the original values, respectively. The rust consists mainly of goethite with admixtures of magnetite, lepidocrocite and akaganeite, which is thought to be a major carrier of chlorine, probably together with iron chlorides. Much of the goethite is so fine-grained that it does not split magnetically at RT. Annealing converts the rust mainly to maghemite at 350 ∘C, to magnetite at 550 ∘C and to wüstite plus magnetite and metallic iron at 750 ∘C. Pure akaganeite behaves in nearly the same manner.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Period-mass-loss rate relation of Miras (Uttenthaler, 2013)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uttenthaler, S.

2013-06-01

Table 1 is a collection of information on the technetium (Tc) content, pulsation period, and IR photometry of AGB variables, without claim of completeness, in particular for the semi-regular variables (SRVs). Up to three references on the Tc content are given. The pulsation period is the most up-to-date value possible, for many objects based on an analysis of AAVSO data with the Period04 program (Lenz & Breger, 2005CoAst.146...53L). The spectral (or chemical) type of the star is taken from the same literature as the information on Tc. A mean K magnitude and J-K colour is computed from all available literature, as listed in Sect. 2 of the paper; they are meant to be as close as possible to cycle-averaged values, to average out the variability of the objects. Finally, magnitudes are given in the IRAS 12, 25, and 60 micron bands, Akari 9 and 18 micron bands, and WISE 22 micron bands are given, where fluxes have been converted to magnitudes given the zero-magnitude fluxes as given in the Note to Table 1. (1 data file).

Work ability of workers in western China: reference data.

PubMed

Lin, Sihao; Wang, Zhiming; Wang, Mianzhen

2006-03-01

The Work Ability Index (WAI) is a validated and widely used research tool. Reference data for Chinese workers by age, gender and work content are poorly documented or lacking. To provide reference data for work ability among workers in western China. A random sample of 10 218 workers (including manual, professional, clerical and semi-skilled workers) in western China, aged 16-69 years, was taken from several studies and the WAI questionnaire was administered. All the WAI scores were distributed continuously and nearly normally. The WAI for female workers was significantly higher than for males (P < 0.01) and the 'poor' WAI category only accounted for 3% of females, against 6% of males. WAI scores declined with age and changed variably among workers according to work content and age. Mean WAI scores of manual workers declined rapidly beyond the age of 35 years, and beyond age 45 years for professional and clerical workers. WAI scores were distributed differently according to work content and age group (P < 0.01). WAI categories differed by work content and age group both for male and female workers. WAI is validated in Chinese occupational practices. Some reference data are different from Finnish data. This study provides gender, age and work-content-specific WAI reference values that will help enable comparison and intervention evaluation in further studies.

What’s New? Children Prefer Novelty in Referent Selection

PubMed Central

Horst, Jessica S.; Samuelson, Larissa K.; Kucker, Sarah C.; McMurray, Bob

2010-01-01

Determining the referent of a novel name is a critical task for young language learners. The majority of studies on children’s referent selection focus on manipulating the sources of information (linguistic, contextual and pragmatic) that children can use to solve the referent mapping problem. Here, we take a step back and explore how children’s endogenous biases towards novelty and their own familiarity with novel objects influence their performance in such a task. We familiarized 2-year-old children with previously novel objects. Then, on novel name referent selection trials children were asked to select the referent from three novel objects: two previously seen and one completely novel object. Children demonstrated a clear bias to select the most novel object. A second experiment controls for pragmatic responding and replicates this finding. We conclude, therefore, that children’s referent selection is biased by previous exposure and children’s endogenous bias to novelty. PMID:21092945

Two low coverage bird genomes and a comparison of reference-guided versus de novo genome assemblies.

PubMed

Card, Daren C; Schield, Drew R; Reyes-Velasco, Jacobo; Fujita, Matthew K; Andrew, Audra L; Oyler-McCance, Sara J; Fike, Jennifer A; Tomback, Diana F; Ruggiero, Robert P; Castoe, Todd A

2014-01-01

As a greater number and diversity of high-quality vertebrate reference genomes become available, it is increasingly feasible to use these references to guide new draft assemblies for related species. Reference-guided assembly approaches may substantially increase the contiguity and completeness of a new genome using only low levels of genome coverage that might otherwise be insufficient for de novo genome assembly. We used low-coverage (∼3.5-5.5x) Illumina paired-end sequencing to assemble draft genomes of two bird species (the Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Centrocercus minimus, and the Clark's Nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana). We used these data to estimate de novo genome assemblies and reference-guided assemblies, and compared the information content and completeness of these assemblies by comparing CEGMA gene set representation, repeat element content, simple sequence repeat content, and GC isochore structure among assemblies. Our results demonstrate that even lower-coverage genome sequencing projects are capable of producing informative and useful genomic resources, particularly through the use of reference-guided assemblies.

Two low coverage bird genomes and a comparison of reference-guided versus de novo genome assemblies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Card, Daren C.; Schield, Drew R.; Reyes-Velasco, Jacobo; Fujita, Matthre K.; Andrew, Audra L.; Oyler-McCance, Sara J.; Fike, Jennifer A.; Tomback, Diana F.; Ruggiero, Robert P.; Castoe, Todd A.

2014-01-01

As a greater number and diversity of high-quality vertebrate reference genomes become available, it is increasingly feasible to use these references to guide new draft assemblies for related species. Reference-guided assembly approaches may substantially increase the contiguity and completeness of a new genome using only low levels of genome coverage that might otherwise be insufficient for de novo genome assembly. We used low-coverage (~3.5–5.5x) Illumina paired-end sequencing to assemble draft genomes of two bird species (the Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Centrocercus minimus, and the Clark's Nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana). We used these data to estimate de novo genome assemblies and reference-guided assemblies, and compared the information content and completeness of these assemblies by comparing CEGMA gene set representation, repeat element content, simple sequence repeat content, and GC isochore structure among assemblies. Our results demonstrate that even lower-coverage genome sequencing projects are capable of producing informative and useful genomic resources, particularly through the use of reference-guided assemblies.

Preservation of Earth Science Data History with Digital Content Repository Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y.; Pan, J.; Shrestha, B.; Cook, R. B.

2011-12-01

An increasing need for derived and on-demand data product in Earth Science research makes the digital content more difficult for providers to manage and preserve and for users to locate, understand, and consume. Specifically, this increasing need presents additional challenges in managing data processing history information and delivering such information to end users. For example, the North American Carbon Program (NACP) Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP) chose a modified SYNMAP land cover data as one of the input driver data for participating terrestrial biospheric models. The global 1km resolution SYNMAP data was created by harmonizing 3 remote sensing-based land cover products: GLCC, GLC2000, and the MODIS land cover product. The original SYNMAP land cover data was aggregated into half and quarter degree resolution. It was then enhanced with more detailed grassland and cropland types. Currently, there lacks an effective mechanism to convey this data processing information to different modeling teams for them to determine if a data product meets their needs. It still highly relies on offline human interaction. The NASA-sponsored ORNL DAAC has leveraged the contemporary digital object repository technology to promote the representation, management, and delivery of data processing history and provenance information. Within digital object repository, different data products are managed as objects, with metadata as attributes and content delivery and management services as dissemination methods. Derivation relationships among data products can be semantically referenced between digital objects. Within the repository, data users can easily track a derived data product back to its origin, explorer metadata and documents about each intermediate data product, and discover processing details involved in each derivation step. Coupled with Drupal Web Content Management System, the digital repository interface was enhanced to provide intuitive graphic representation of the data processing history. Each data product is also associated with a formal metadata record in FGDC standards, and the main fields of the FGDC record are indexed for search, and are displayed as attributes of the data product. These features enable data users to better understand and consume a data product. The representation of data processing history in digital repository can further promote long-term data preservation. Lineage information is a major aspect to make digital data understandable and usable long time into the future. Derivation references can be setup between digital objects not only within a single digital repository, but also across multiple distributed digital repositories. Along with emerging identification mechanisms, such as Digital Object Identifier (DOI), a flexible distributed digital repository network can be setup to better preserve digital content. In this presentation, we describe how digital content repository technology can be used to manage, preserve, and deliver digital data processing history information in Earth Science research domain, with selected data archived in ORNL DAAC and Model and Synthesis Thematic Data Center (MAST-DC) as testing targets.

'Hello, my name is Gabriel, I am the house officer, may I examine you?' or the Objective Santa Christmas Examination (OSCE).

PubMed

Wood, D; Roberts, T; Bradley, P; Lloyd, D; O'Neill, P

1999-12-01

To design a clinical examination of high content validity suitable for use as a formative assessment tool with pre-registration house officers (PRHO'S) towards the end of their first house officer post. A multicentre collaboration between four UK medical schools who offer undergraduate curricula which are problem-based, systems-based, patient-orientated, student-centred, jargon-laden and utterly staff-bewildering. An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) which is suitable for use with graduates of UK medical schools. It assesses the knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for future careers in a hierarchical system where protecting the senior staff from all forms of irritation is paramount. PRHO'S who excel in this examination get better references. The OSCE format can be used to provide 'real-life' scenarios appropriate to the season.

Information object definition-based unified modeling language representation of DICOM structured reporting: a case study of transcoding DICOM to XML.

PubMed

Tirado-Ramos, Alfredo; Hu, Jingkun; Lee, K P

2002-01-01

Supplement 23 to DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications for Medicine), Structured Reporting, is a specification that supports a semantically rich representation of image and waveform content, enabling experts to share image and related patient information. DICOM SR supports the representation of textual and coded data linked to images and waveforms. Nevertheless, the medical information technology community needs models that work as bridges between the DICOM relational model and open object-oriented technologies. The authors assert that representations of the DICOM Structured Reporting standard, using object-oriented modeling languages such as the Unified Modeling Language, can provide a high-level reference view of the semantically rich framework of DICOM and its complex structures. They have produced an object-oriented model to represent the DICOM SR standard and have derived XML-exchangeable representations of this model using World Wide Web Consortium specifications. They expect the model to benefit developers and system architects who are interested in developing applications that are compliant with the DICOM SR specification.

[Hypochondriac symptoms in late-onset depression: the relationship between hypochondria and somatic state of patients].

PubMed

Ivanets, N N; Avdeeva, T I; Kinkul'kina, M A

2013-01-01

Authors studied 276 women with late-onset depression. Concomitant chronic somatic diseases were identified in 90%. The presence of disease and its nosological definition did not impact on the development of hypochondriac symptoms in patients with late-onset depression. Patients with hypochondriac late-onset depression more often had disability pension due to somatic disease because they more often referred to internists in case of similar objective severity of somatic pathology. It was singled out three variants of the relationship between hypochondria and somatic state: hypernosognostic (a complete coincidence of hypochondria content with actual somatic pathology; anosognostic (a lack of coincidence) and disharmonic (a partial coincidence). The themes of hypochondria in late-nset depressions were correlated with a total number of somatic diseases and their severity. At the same time, there was no correlation between the content of hypochondria and the character of somatic disease.

Quantification of brain lipids by FTIR spectroscopy and partial least squares regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreissig, Isabell; Machill, Susanne; Salzer, Reiner; Krafft, Christoph

2009-01-01

Brain tissue is characterized by high lipid content. Its content decreases and the lipid composition changes during transformation from normal brain tissue to tumors. Therefore, the analysis of brain lipids might complement the existing diagnostic tools to determine the tumor type and tumor grade. Objective of this work is to extract lipids from gray matter and white matter of porcine brain tissue, record infrared (IR) spectra of these extracts and develop a quantification model for the main lipids based on partial least squares (PLS) regression. IR spectra of the pure lipids cholesterol, cholesterol ester, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, sphingomyelin, galactocerebroside and sulfatide were used as references. Two lipid mixtures were prepared for training and validation of the quantification model. The composition of lipid extracts that were predicted by the PLS regression of IR spectra was compared with lipid quantification by thin layer chromatography.

The myth of a naturalised male circumcision: Heuristic context and the production of scientific objects.

PubMed

Brives, Charlotte

2017-12-13

In March, 2007, the WHO and UNAIDS established a joint recommendation at the Montreux technical consultation, making male circumcision the first surgery to be used as a preventative tool against an infectious disease. This recommendation was immediately followed by the publication of numerous articles denouncing its content, leading to two distinct controversies, one between epidemiologists, and a second between epidemiologists and social scientists. Interestingly, however, none of these works took male circumcision as an issue in itself, exploring neither that both epidemiologists and social scientists had taken the object 'circumcision' as a given, nor what each party was referring to when talking about circumcision. In this paper, taking a step back, and building on the notion of heuristic context, I show how the RCTs constructed this object in a very specific way, and how this construction was often lost in translation, leading not only to an illusion of universality, but also to misunderstandings between disciplines regarding what is at stake in global health issues.

How Documentalists Update SIMBAD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buga, M.; Bot, C.; Brouty, M.; Bruneau, C.; Brunet, C.; Cambresy, L.; Eisele, A.; Genova, F.; Lesteven, S.; Loup, C.; Neuville, M.; Oberto, A.; Ochsenbein, F.; Perret, E.; Siebert, A.; Son, E.; Vannier, P.; Vollmer, B.; Vonflie, P.; Wenger, M.; Woelfel, F.

2015-04-01

The Strasbourg astronomical Data Center (CDS) was created in 1972 and has had a major role in astronomy for more than forty years. CDS develops a service called SIMBAD that provides basic data, cross-identifications, bibliography, and measurements for astronomical objects outside the solar system. It brings to the scientific community an added value to content which is updated daily by a team of documentalists working together in close collaboration with astronomers and IT specialists. We explain how the CDS staff updates SIMBAD with object citations in the main astronomical journals, as well as with astronomical data and measurements. We also explain how the identification is made between the objects found in the literature and those already existing in SIMBAD. We show the steps followed by the documentalist team to update the database using different tools developed at CDS, like the sky visualizer Aladin, and the large catalogues and survey database VizieR. As a direct result of this teamwork, SIMBAD integrates almost 10.000 bibliographic references per year. The service receives more than 400.000 queries per day.

A robust collagen scoring method for human liver fibrosis by second harmonic microscopy.

PubMed

Guilbert, Thomas; Odin, Christophe; Le Grand, Yann; Gailhouste, Luc; Turlin, Bruno; Ezan, Frédérick; Désille, Yoann; Baffet, Georges; Guyader, Dominique

2010-12-06

Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) microscopy offers the opportunity to image collagen of type I without staining. We recently showed that a simple scoring method, based on SHG images of histological human liver biopsies, correlates well with the Metavir assessment of fibrosis level (Gailhouste et al., J. Hepatol., 2010). In this article, we present a detailed study of this new scoring method with two different objective lenses. By using measurements of the objectives point spread functions and of the photomultiplier gain, and a simple model of the SHG intensity, we show that our scoring method, applied to human liver biopsies, is robust to the objective's numerical aperture (NA) for low NA, the choice of the reference sample and laser power, and the spatial sampling rate. The simplicity and robustness of our collagen scoring method may open new opportunities in the quantification of collagen content in different organs, which is of main importance in providing diagnostic information and evaluation of therapeutic efficiency.

System and method for authentication

DOEpatents

Duerksen, Gary L.; Miller, Seth A.

2015-12-29

Described are methods and systems for determining authenticity. For example, the method may include providing an object of authentication, capturing characteristic data from the object of authentication, deriving authentication data from the characteristic data of the object of authentication, and comparing the authentication data with an electronic database comprising reference authentication data to provide an authenticity score for the object of authentication. The reference authentication data may correspond to one or more reference objects of authentication other than the object of authentication.

Communicating Genetics and Smoking Through Social Media: Are We There Yet?

PubMed Central

Suggs, L Suzanne; Brand, Angela; Van Oyen, Herman

2013-01-01

Background Social media is a recent source of health information that could disseminate new scientific research, such as the genetics of smoking. Objective The objectives were (1) to evaluate the availability of genetic information about smoking on different social media platforms (ie, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter) and (2) to assess the type and the content of the information displayed on the social media as well as the profile of people publishing this information. Methods We screened posts on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter with the terms “smoking” and “genetic” at two time points (September 18, 2012, and May 7, 2013). The first 100 posts were reviewed for each media for the time points. Google was searched during Time 2 as an indicator of available information on the Web and the other social media that discussed genetics and smoking. The source of information, the country of the publisher, characteristics of the posts, and content of the posts were extracted. Results On YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, 31, 0, and 84 posts, respectively, were included. Posts were mostly based on smoking-related diseases, referred to scientific publications, and were largely from the United States. From the Google search, most results were scientific databases. Six scientific publications referred to within the Google search were also retrieved on either YouTube or Twitter. Conclusions Despite the importance of public understanding of smoking and genetics, and the high use of social media, little information on this topic is actually present on social media. Therefore, there is a need to monitor the information that is there and to evaluate the population’s understanding of the information related to genetics and smoking that is displayed on social media. PMID:24018012

Comparison of mid-infrared transmission spectroscopy with biochemical methods for the determination of macronutrients in human milk.

PubMed

Silvestre, Dolores; Fraga, Miriam; Gormaz, María; Torres, Ester; Vento, Máximo

2014-07-01

The variability of human milk (HM) composition renders analysis of its components essential for optimal nutrition of preterm fed either with donor's or own mother's milk. To fulfil this requirement, various analytical instruments have been subjected to scientific and clinical evaluation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of a rapid method for the analysis of macronutrients in HM as compared with the analytical methods applied by cow's milk industry. Mature milk from 39 donors was analysed using an infrared human milk analyser (HMA) and compared with biochemical reference laboratory methods. The statistical analysis was based on the use of paired data tests. The use of an infrared HMA for the analysis of lipids, proteins and lactose in HM proved satisfactory as regards the rapidity, simplicity and the required sample volume. The instrument afforded good linearity and precision in application to all three nutrients. However, accuracy was not acceptable when compared with the reference methods, with overestimation of the lipid content and underestimation of the amount of proteins and lactose contents. The use of mid-infrared HMA might become the standard for rapid analysis of HM once standardisation and rigorous and systematic calibration is provided. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Orientation and mobility training for partially-sighted older adults using an identification cane: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Ballemans, Judith; Kempen, Gertrudis IJM; Zijlstra, GA Rixt

2011-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to provide an overview of the development, content, feasibility, and effectiveness of existing orientation and mobility training programmes in the use of the identification cane. Data sources: A systematic bibliographic database search in PubMed, PsychInfo, ERIC, CINAHL and the Cochrane Library was performed, in combination with the expert consultation (n = 42; orientation and mobility experts), and hand-searching of reference lists. Review methods: Selection criteria included a description of the development, the content, the feasibility, or the effectiveness of orientation and mobility training in the use of the identification cane. Two reviewers independently agreed on eligibility and methodological quality. A narrative/qualitative data analysis method was applied to extract data from obtained documents. Results: The sensitive database search and hand-searching of reference lists revealed 248 potentially relevant abstracts. None met the eligibility criteria. Expert consultation resulted in the inclusion of six documents in which the information presented on the orientation and mobility training in the use of the identification cane was incomplete and of low methodological quality. Conclusion: Our review of the literature showed a lack of well-described protocols and studies on orientation and mobility training in identification cane use. PMID:21795405

The development of AR book for computer learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phadung, Muneeroh; Wani, Najela; Tongmnee, Nur-aiynee

2017-08-01

Educators need to provide the alternative educational tools to foster learning outcomes of students. By using AR technology to create exciting edutainment experiences, this paper presents how augmented reality (AR) can be applied in the education. This study aims to develop the AR book for tenth grade students (age 15-16) and evaluate its quality. The AR book was developed based on ADDIE framework processes to provide computer learning on software computer knowledge. The content was accorded with the current Thai education curriculum. The AR book had 10 pages in three topics (the first was "Introduction," the second was "System Software" and the third was "Application Software"). Each page contained markers that placed virtual objects (2D animation and video clip). The obtained data were analyzed in terms of average and standard deviation. The validity of multimedia design of the AR book was assessed by three experts in multimedia design. A five-point Likert scale was used and the values were X¯ =4 .84 , S.D. = 1.27 which referred to very high. Moreover, three content experts, who specialize in computer teaching, evaluated the AR book's validity. The values determined by the experts were X¯ =4 .69 , S.D. = 0.29 which referred to very high. Implications for future study and education are discussed.

Mid-infrared spectral characteristics of lipid molecular structures in Brassica carinata seeds: relationship to oil content, fatty acid and glucosinolate profiles, polyphenols, and condensed tannins.

PubMed

Xin, Hangshu; Khan, Nazir A; Falk, Kevin C; Yu, Peiqiang

2014-08-13

The objectives of this study were to quantify lipid-related inherent molecular structures using a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) technique and determine their relationship to oil content, fatty acid and glucosinolate profile, total polyphenols, and condensed tannins in seeds from newly developed yellow-seeded and brown-seeded Brassica carinata lines. Canola seeds were used as a reference. The lipid-related molecular spectral band intensities were strongly correlated to the contents of oil, fatty acids, glucosinolates, and polyphenols. The regression equations gave relatively high predictive power for the estimation of oil (R² = 0.99); all measured fatty acids (R² > 0.80), except C14:0, C20:3n-3, C22:2n-9, and C22:2n-6; 3-butenyl, 2-OH-3-butenyl, 4-OH-3-CH3-indolyl, and total glucosinolates (R² > 0.686); and total polyphenols (R² = 0.935). However, further study is required to obtain predictive equations based on large numbers of samples from diverse sources to illustrate the general applicability of these regression equations.

Optical vibration detection spectral analysis assembly and method for detecting vibration in an object of interest

DOEpatents

Hale, Thomas C.; Telschow, Kenneth L.

1998-01-01

A vibration detection assembly is described which includes an emitter of light which has object and reference beams, the object beam reflected off of a vibrating object of interest; and a photorefractive substance having a given response time and which passes the reflected object beam and the reference beam, the reference beam and the object beam interfering within the photorefractive substance to create a space charge field which develops within the response time of the photorefractive substance.

Optical vibration detection spectral analysis assembly and method for detecting vibration in an object of interest

DOEpatents

Hale, T.C.; Telschow, K.L.

1998-10-27

A vibration detection assembly is described which includes an emitter of light which has object and reference beams, the object beam reflected off of a vibrating object of interest; and a photorefractive substance having a given response time and which passes the reflected object beam and the reference beam, the reference beam and the object beam interfering within the photorefractive substance to create a space charge field which develops within the response time of the photorefractive substance. 6 figs.

Future-saving audiovisual content for Data Science: Preservation of geoinformatics video heritage with the TIB|AV-Portal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löwe, Peter; Plank, Margret; Ziedorn, Frauke

2015-04-01

In data driven research, the access to citation and preservation of the full triad consisting of journal article, research data and -software has started to become good scientific practice. To foster the adoption of this practice the significance of software tools has to be acknowledged, which enable scientists to harness auxiliary audiovisual content in their research work. The advent of ubiquitous computer-based audiovisual recording and corresponding Web 2.0 hosting platforms like Youtube, Slideshare and GitHub has created new ecosystems for contextual information related to scientific software and data, which continues to grow both in size and variety of content. The current Web 2.0 platforms lack capabilities for long term archiving and scientific citation, such as persistent identifiers allowing to reference specific intervals of the overall content. The audiovisual content currently shared by scientists ranges from commented howto-demonstrations on software handling, installation and data-processing, to aggregated visual analytics of the evolution of software projects over time. Such content are crucial additions to the scientific message, as they ensure that software-based data-processing workflows can be assessed, understood and reused in the future. In the context of data driven research, such content needs to be accessible by effective search capabilities, enabling the content to be retrieved and ensuring that the content producers receive credit for their efforts within the scientific community. Improved multimedia archiving and retrieval services for scientific audiovisual content which meet these requirements are currently implemented by the scientific library community. This paper exemplifies the existing challenges, requirements, benefits and the potential of the preservation, accessibility and citability of such audiovisual content for the Open Source communities based on the new audiovisual web service TIB|AV Portal of the German National Library of Science and Technology. The web-based portal allows for extended search capabilities based on enhanced metadata derived by automated video analysis. By combining state-of-the-art multimedia retrieval techniques such as speech-, text-, and image recognition with semantic analysis, content-based access to videos at the segment level is provided. Further, by using the open standard Media Fragment Identifier (MFID), a citable Digital Object Identifier is displayed for each video segment. In addition to the continuously growing footprint of contemporary content, the importance of vintage audiovisual information needs to be considered: This paper showcases the successful application of the TIB|AV-Portal in the preservation and provision of a newly discovered version of a GRASS GIS promotional video produced by US Army -Corps of Enginers Laboratory (US-CERL) in 1987. The video is provides insight into the constraints of the very early days of the GRASS GIS project, which is the oldest active Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) GIS project which has been active for over thirty years. GRASS itself has turned into a collaborative scientific platform and a repository of scientific peer-reviewed code and algorithm/knowledge hub for future generation of scientists [1]. This is a reference case for future preservation activities regarding semantic-enhanced Web 2.0 content from geospatial software projects within Academia and beyond. References: [1] Chemin, Y., Petras V., Petrasova, A., Landa, M., Gebbert, S., Zambelli, P., Neteler, M., Löwe, P.: GRASS GIS: a peer-reviewed scientific platform and future research Repository, Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 17, EGU2015-8314-1, 2015 (submitted)

Alcohol brand appearances in US popular music.

PubMed

Primack, Brian A; Nuzzo, Erin; Rice, Kristen R; Sargent, James D

2012-03-01

The average US adolescent is exposed to 34 references to alcohol in popular music daily. Although brand recognition is an independent, potent risk factor for alcohol outcomes among adolescents, alcohol brand appearances in popular music have not been assessed systematically. We aimed to determine the prevalence of and contextual elements associated with alcohol brand appearances in US popular music. Qualitative content analysis. We used Billboard Magazine to identify songs to which US adolescents were most exposed in 2005-07. For each of the 793 songs, two trained coders analyzed independently the lyrics of each song for references to alcohol and alcohol brand appearances. Subsequent in-depth assessments utilized Atlas.ti to determine contextual factors associated with each of the alcohol brand appearances. Our final code book contained 27 relevant codes representing six categories: alcohol types, consequences, emotional states, activities, status and objects. Average inter-rater reliability was high (κ = 0.80), and all differences were easily adjudicated. Of the 793 songs in our sample, 169 (21.3%) referred explicitly to alcohol, and of those, 41 (24.3%) contained an alcohol brand appearance. Consequences associated with alcohol were more often positive than negative (41.5% versus 17.1%, P < 0.001). Alcohol brand appearances were associated commonly with wealth (63.4%), sex (58.5%), luxury objects (51.2%), partying (48.8%), other drugs (43.9%) and vehicles (39.0%). One in five songs sampled from US popular music had explicit references to alcohol, and one-quarter of these mentioned a specific alcohol brand. These alcohol brand appearances are associated commonly with a luxury life-style characterized by wealth, sex, partying and other drugs. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Alcohol Brand Appearances in U.S. Popular Music

PubMed Central

Primack, Brian A.; Nuzzo, Erin; Rice, Kristen R.; Sargent, James D.

2011-01-01

Aims The average US adolescent is exposed to 34 references to alcohol in popular music daily. Although brand recognition is an independent, potent risk factor for alcohol outcomes among adolescents, alcohol brand appearances in popular music have not been systematically assessed. We aimed to determine the prevalence of and contextual elements associated with alcohol brand appearances in U.S. popular music. Design Qualitative content analysis. Setting We used Billboard Magazine to identify songs to which US adolescents were most exposed in 2005-2007. For each of the 793 songs, two trained coders independently analyzed the lyrics of each song for references to alcohol and alcohol brand appearances. Subsequent in-depth assessments utilised Atlas.ti to determine contextual factors associated with each of the alcohol brand appearances. Measurements Our final code book contained 27 relevant codes representing 6 categories: alcohol types, consequences, emotional states, activities, status, and objects. Findings Average inter-rater reliability was high (κ=0.80), and all differences were easily adjudicated. Of the 793 songs in our sample, 169 (21.3%) explicitly referred to alcohol, and of those, 41 (24.3%) contained an alcohol brand appearance. Consequences associated with alcohol were more often positive than negative (41.5% vs. 17.1%, P<.001). Alcohol brand appearances were commonly associated with wealth (63.4%), sex (58.5%), luxury objects (51.2%), partying (48.8%), other drugs (43.9%), and vehicles (39.0%). Conclusions One-in-five songs sampled from U.S. popular music had explicit references to alcohol, and one quarter of these mentioned a specific alcohol brand. These alcohol brand appearances are commonly associated with a luxury lifestyle characterised by wealth, sex, partying, and other drugs. PMID:22011113

Acoustic imaging microscope

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.; Telschow, Kenneth L.

2006-10-17

An imaging system includes: an object wavefront source and an optical microscope objective all positioned to direct an object wavefront onto an area of a vibrating subject surface encompassed by a field of view of the microscope objective, and to direct a modulated object wavefront reflected from the encompassed surface area through a photorefractive material; and a reference wavefront source and at least one phase modulator all positioned to direct a reference wavefront through the phase modulator and to direct a modulated reference wavefront from the phase modulator through the photorefractive material to interfere with the modulated object wavefront. The photorefractive material has a composition and a position such that interference of the modulated object wavefront and modulated reference wavefront occurs within the photorefractive material, providing a full-field, real-time image signal of the encompassed surface area.

Elaboration and Evaluation of Contents about Hearing Health Inserted in Cybertutor

PubMed Central

Corrêa, Camila de Castro; Silva, Ricelly Avila da; Blasca, Wanderléia Quinhoneiro

2014-01-01

Introduction Cybertutor (electronic tutor) is a type of information and communication technology to disseminate knowledge about hearing, aiming at the prevention of hearing alterations and, when needed, early treatment, in addition to social inclusion of the hearing impaired. However, it is important to evaluate the level of language used in the content and the subjective perception of the target public regarding improvements of the tool. Objective To improve content about hearing health inserted in a cybertutor and to evaluate the level of legibility and the quality of the content and material made available. Method For the construction of the content, text and audiovisual resources were used, based on scientific publications, and were evaluated objectively with Flesch Reading Ease test and subjectively with a questionnaire created by the authors and answered by 10 ninth-year pupils. Results Two modules on hearing health were created, “Hearing Health” and “Intervention and Rehabilitation,” which received Flesch scores of 50.8 and 51.4%, respectively, making it necessary to have a sixth- to ninth-year education to understand the material. The students' evaluation in reference to language and material showed that 55.5% considered the contents excellent; 38.2% classified the contents as satisfactory; 6.3% considered them reasonable; and 0% classified them as unsatisfactory. Conclusion The contents inserted in the cybertutor about hearing health presented a language level considered easy for the age group of the target population, in addition to receiving good subjective evaluation from the pupils, facilitating access to the information. PMID:25992075

40 CFR 63.805 - Performance test methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... alternative method for determining the VHAP content of the coating. In the event of any inconsistency between... Collection of Coating and Ink Samples for VOC Content Analysis by Reference Method 24 and Reference Method... (see § 63.801); (iii) Use any alternative protocol and test method provided they meet either the...

Effect Of Coir Fibres On The Compaction And Unconfined Compressive Strength Of Bentonite-Lime-Gypsum Mixture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tilak B., Vidya; Dutta, Rakesh Kumar; Mohanty, Bijayananda

2015-06-01

This paper presents the effect of coir fibres on the compaction and unconfined compressive strength of a bentonite-lime-gypsum mixture. The coir fiber content varied from 0.5 to 2 %. The results indicated that the dry unit weight and the optimum moisture content of a bentonite - lime mix increased with the addition of gypsum. The unconfined compressive strength of the bentonite increased with the increase in the lime content up to 8 %. Beyond 8 %, the unconfined compressive strength decreased. The dry unit weight of the reference mix decreased, and the optimum moisture content increased with the addition of coir fibre. The unconfined compressive strength of the bentonite + 8 % lime mix increased up to 4 % with the gypsum. Beyond 4 %, the unconfined compressive strength decreased. The unconfined compressive strength of the reference mix increased with the addition of coir fibre up to a fibre content of 1.5 %. The unconfined compressive strength of the reference mix-coir fibre composite was less in comparison to the reference mix. The unconfined compressive strength of the bentonite increased with the addition of lime and gypsum and with the increase in the curing period. The improvement in the post-peak region was better for the reference mix with reinforced coir fibres as compared to the unreinforced reference mix. The improved post-peak behaviour of the bentonite-lime-gypsum-coir fibre mixture could boost the construction of temporary roads on such problematic soils. Further, its use will also provide an environmental motivation for providing a means of consuming large quantities of coir fibres.

Border collie comprehends object names as verbal referents.

PubMed

Pilley, John W; Reid, Alliston K

2011-02-01

Four experiments investigated the ability of a border collie (Chaser) to acquire receptive language skills. Experiment 1 demonstrated that Chaser learned and retained, over a 3-year period of intensive training, the proper-noun names of 1022 objects. Experiment 2 presented random pair-wise combinations of three commands and three names, and demonstrated that she understood the separate meanings of proper-noun names and commands. Chaser understood that names refer to objects, independent of the behavior directed toward those objects. Experiment 3 demonstrated Chaser's ability to learn three common nouns--words that represent categories. Chaser demonstrated one-to-many (common noun) and many-to-one (multiple-name) name-object mappings. Experiment 4 demonstrated Chaser's ability to learn words by inferential reasoning by exclusion--inferring the name of an object based on its novelty among familiar objects that already had names. Together, these studies indicate that Chaser acquired referential understanding of nouns, an ability normally attributed to children, which included: (a) awareness that words may refer to objects, (b) awareness of verbal cues that map words upon the object referent, and (c) awareness that names may refer to unique objects or categories of objects, independent of the behaviors directed toward those objects. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A New Bibliographical Feature for SIMBAD: Highlighting the Most Relevant Papers for One Astronomical Object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberto, A.; Lesteven, S.; Derriere, S.; Bonnin, C.; Buga, M.; Brouty, M.; Bruneau, C.; Brunet, C.; Eisele, A.; Genova, F.; Guéhenneux, S.; Neuville, M.; Ochsenbein, F.; Perret, E.; Son, E.; Vannier, P.; Vonflie, P.; Wenger, M.; Woelfel, F.

2015-04-01

The number of bibliographical references attached to an astronomical object in SIMBAD is has been growing continuously over the years. It is important for astronomers to retrieve the most relevant papers, those that give important information about the object of study. This is not easy since there can be many references attached to one object. For instance, in 2014, more than 15,000 objects had been attached to more than 50 references. The location of the object's citations inside the paper and its number of occurrences are important criteria to extract the most relevant papers. Since 2008, because of the DJIN application (a semi-automatic tool to search for object names in full text) this information has been collected. For each article associated with an astronomical object, we know where it is cited and how many times and with which name it appears. Since September 2013, the users of SIMBAD web site can choose to retrieve the most relevant references for an astronomical object depending on its location in the publication. A new formula to sort references by combining all locations, number of occurrences, total number of objects studied, citation count, and year is presented in this paper.

Comparison of the Mineral Content of Tap Water and Bottled Waters

PubMed Central

Azoulay, Arik; Garzon, Philippe; Eisenberg, Mark J

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVES Because of growing concern that constituents of drinking water may have adverse health effects, consumption of tap water in North America has decreased and consumption of bottled water has increased. Our objectives were to 1) determine whether North American tap water contains clinically important levels of calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), and sodium (Na+) and 2) determine whether differences in mineral content of tap water and commercially available bottled waters are clinically important. DESIGN We obtained mineral analysis reports from municipal water authorities of 21 major North American cities. Mineral content of tap water was compared with published data regarding commercially available bottled waters and with dietary reference intakes (DRIs). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Mineral levels varied among tap water sources in North America and among bottled waters. European bottled waters generally contained higher mineral levels than North American tap water sources and North American bottled waters. For half of the tap water sources we examined, adults may fulfill between 8% and 16% of their Ca2+ DRI and between 6% and 31% of their Mg2+ DRI by drinking 2 liters per day. One liter of most moderate mineralization European bottled waters contained between 20% and 58% of the Ca2+ DRI and between 16% and 41% of the Mg2+ DRI in adults. High mineralization bottled waters often contained up to half of the maximum recommended daily intake of Na+. CONCLUSION Drinking water sources available to North Americans may contain high levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+ and may provide clinically important portions of the recommended dietary intake of these minerals. Physicians should encourage patients to check the mineral content of their drinking water, whether tap or bottled, and choose water most appropriate for their needs. PMID:11318912

Two Low Coverage Bird Genomes and a Comparison of Reference-Guided versus De Novo Genome Assemblies

PubMed Central

Card, Daren C.; Schield, Drew R.; Reyes-Velasco, Jacobo; Fujita, Matthew K.; Andrew, Audra L.; Oyler-McCance, Sara J.; Fike, Jennifer A.; Tomback, Diana F.; Ruggiero, Robert P.; Castoe, Todd A.

2014-01-01

As a greater number and diversity of high-quality vertebrate reference genomes become available, it is increasingly feasible to use these references to guide new draft assemblies for related species. Reference-guided assembly approaches may substantially increase the contiguity and completeness of a new genome using only low levels of genome coverage that might otherwise be insufficient for de novo genome assembly. We used low-coverage (∼3.5–5.5x) Illumina paired-end sequencing to assemble draft genomes of two bird species (the Gunnison Sage-Grouse, Centrocercus minimus, and the Clark's Nutcracker, Nucifraga columbiana). We used these data to estimate de novo genome assemblies and reference-guided assemblies, and compared the information content and completeness of these assemblies by comparing CEGMA gene set representation, repeat element content, simple sequence repeat content, and GC isochore structure among assemblies. Our results demonstrate that even lower-coverage genome sequencing projects are capable of producing informative and useful genomic resources, particularly through the use of reference-guided assemblies. PMID:25192061

Metonymy and Reference-Point Errors in Novice Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Craig S.

2014-01-01

When learning to program, students often mistakenly refer to an element that is structurally related to the element that they intend to reference. For example, they may indicate the attribute of an object when their intention is to reference the whole object. This paper examines these reference-point errors through the context of metonymy.…

[The pedagogical practice of nursing teachers and their knowledge].

PubMed

Madeira, Maria Zélia de Araújo; Lima, Maria da Glória Soares Barbosa

2007-01-01

This article has as objectives investigate the faculty knowledge that embase the pedagogical practice of the nursing-professors, glimpsing to understand the meaning of this social practice in what it refers to the process to become a professional professor. The qualitative nature study, with methodological emphasis in verbal story, used as instruments of data collection semi-arranged interviews, and the data analysis starting from the content analysis. Among the results obtained from the analysis, it has proven that the faculty knowledge and the pedagogical practice positively incises for the consolidation of the process to become professional professor in the scope of the faculty in the nursing course at UFPI.

Prediction and explanation in the multiverse

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garriga, J.; Vilenkin, A.

2008-02-15

Probabilities in the multiverse can be calculated by assuming that we are typical representatives in a given reference class. But is this class well defined? What should be included in the ensemble in which we are supposed to be typical? There is a widespread belief that this question is inherently vague, and that there are various possible choices for the types of reference objects which should be counted in. Here we argue that the 'ideal' reference class (for the purpose of making predictions) can be defined unambiguously in a rather precise way, as the set of all observers with identicalmore » information content. When the observers in a given class perform an experiment, the class branches into subclasses who learn different information from the outcome of that experiment. The probabilities for the different outcomes are defined as the relative numbers of observers in each subclass. For practical purposes, wider reference classes can be used, where we trace over all information which is uncorrelated to the outcome of the experiment, or whose correlation with it is beyond our current understanding. We argue that, once we have gathered all practically available evidence, the optimal strategy for making predictions is to consider ourselves typical in any reference class we belong to, unless we have evidence to the contrary. In the latter case, the class must be correspondingly narrowed.« less

Update of the Dutch manual for costing studies in health care

PubMed Central

Kanters, Tim A.; Bouwmans, Clazien A. M.; van der Linden, Naomi; Tan, Siok Swan; Hakkaart-van Roijen, Leona

2017-01-01

Objectives Dutch health economic guidelines include a costing manual, which describes preferred research methodology for costing studies and reference prices to ensure high quality studies and comparability between study outcomes. This paper describes the most important revisions of the costing manual compared to the previous version. Methods An online survey was sent out to potential users of the costing manual to identify topics for improvement. The costing manual was aligned with contemporary health economic guidelines. All methodology sections and parameter values needed for costing studies, particularly reference prices, were updated. An expert panel of health economists was consulted several times during the review process. The revised manual was reviewed by two members of the expert panel and by reviewers of the Dutch Health Care Institute. Results The majority of survey respondents was satisfied with content and usability of the existing costing manual. Respondents recommended updating reference prices and adding some particular commonly needed reference prices. Costs categories were adjusted to the international standard: 1) costs within the health care sector; 2) patient and family costs; and 3) costs in other sectors. Reference prices were updated to reflect 2014 values. The methodology chapter was rewritten to match the requirements of the costing manual and preferences of the users. Reference prices for nursing days of specific wards, for diagnostic procedures and nurse practitioners were added. Conclusions The usability of the costing manual was increased and parameter values were updated. The costing manual became integrated in the new health economic guidelines. PMID:29121647

Digital Invasions: from Point Clouds to Historical Building Object Modeling H-Bom of a Unesco Whl Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiabrando, F.; Lo Turco, M.; Santagati, C.

2017-02-01

The paper here presented shows the outcomes of a research/didactic activity carried out within a workshop titled "Digital Invasions. From point cloud to Heritage Building Information Modeling" held at Politecnico di Torino (29th September-5th October 2016). The term digital invasions refers to an Italian bottom up project born in the 2013 with the aim of promoting innovative digital ways for the enhancement of Cultural Heritage by the co-creation of cultural contents and its sharing through social media platforms. At this regard, we have worked with students of Architectural Master of Science degree, training them with a multidisciplinary teaching team (Architectural Representation, History of Architecture, Restoration, Digital Communication and Geomatics). The aim was also to test if our students could be involved in a sort of niche crowdsourcing for the creation of a library of H-BOMS (Historical-Building Object Modeling) of architectural elements.

The Development, Field Testing and Evaluation of Three Hierarchies of Behaviorally Stated Objectives for the Chemistry Content of a Course of Instruction in Physical Science for Pre-Service Nursing Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Robert Alden

The purpose of this research was to develop hierarchies of behavioral objectives for the chemistry content of a one-semester course in physical science for preservice associate degree nursing students. Each of three content objectives was expressed by a series of behaviorally stated objectives which included a terminal objective for a unit of…

Ultra high frequency imaging acoustic microscope

DOEpatents

Deason, Vance A.; Telschow, Kenneth L.

2006-05-23

An imaging system includes: an object wavefront source and an optical microscope objective all positioned to direct an object wavefront onto an area of a vibrating subject surface encompassed by a field of view of the microscope objective, and to direct a modulated object wavefront reflected from the encompassed surface area through a photorefractive material; and a reference wavefront source and at least one phase modulator all positioned to direct a reference wavefront through the phase modulator and to direct a modulated reference wavefront from the phase modulator through the photorefractive material to interfere with the modulated object wavefront. The photorefractive material has a composition and a position such that interference of the modulated object wavefront and modulated reference wavefront occurs within the photorefractive material, providing a full-field, real-time image signal of the encompassed surface area.

Physico-chemical analysis and antimicrobial potential of Apis dorsata, Apis mellifera and Ziziphus jujube honey samples from Pakistan

PubMed Central

Fahim, Hira; Dasti, Javid Iqbal; Ali, Ihsan; Ahmed, Safia; Nadeem, Muhammad

2014-01-01

Objective To evaluate physico-chemical properties and antimicrobial potential of indigenous honey samples against different reference strains including Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC 13048, Pseudomonas aeroginosa ATCC 9027, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Salmonella typhi ATCC 14028, Klebsiella pneumonia ATCC 13883, Aspergillus niger ATCC 16404, Rhizopus oligosporus PCSIR1, Candida albicans ATCC 14053 and Candida utilis ATCC 9950. Methods By using standard methods samples were evaluated for their antimicrobial properties including additive effect of starch and non-peroxidase activity, antioxidative properties (phenol contents, flavonoid contents, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity). Prior to this evaluation, complete physico-chemical properties including pH, color, ash contents, protein contents, moisture contents, hydroxymethyl furfural contents, total sugar contents, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar contents were analyzed. Results Relatively higher ash contents were found in the Siddar honey i.e. (0.590 0±0.033 6)% and small honey showed relatively higher protein contents i.e. (777.598±9.880) mg/kg. The moisture contents of tested honey samples ranged between 13.8%-16.6%, total sugar contents from 61.672%-72.420% and non-reducing sugar contents from 1.95%-3.93%. Presences of phenolic contents indicate higher antioxidant potential of these honey samples. All bacteria showed clear inhibition zones in response to tested honey samples whereas fungi and yeast showed inhibition at higher concentrations of these honey samples. For Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeroginosa and Aspergillus niger, overall the small honey showed the higher activity than other honey samples. Conclusion Physico-chemical analysis of honey samples confirmed good quality of honey according to the standards set by European Union Commission and Codex Alimentarius Commission. Evaluation of these honey samples confirms antimicrobial potential of particular types of honeys indigenous to Pakistan. PMID:25183333

On a New Theory of the System of Reference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalanov, Temur Z.

2003-04-01

A new theory of the system of reference is suggested. It represents the new point of view which has arisen from the critical analysis of the foundations of physics (in particular, the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics), mathematics, cosmology and philosophy. The main idea following from the analysis is that the correct concept of system of reference represents a key to comprehension of many basic logic errors which are in modern physics. The starting point of the theory is represented by the philosophical (dialectical materialistic) principles, in particular, the gnosiological principle. (The gnosiological principle is briefly formulated as follows. The purpose of a science is to know the laws of the Nature. The law is a form of scientific knowledge of the essence and the phenomenon. The essence is the internal basis of the phenomenon, and the phenomenon is the manifestation of the essence. Human practice is a basis of knowledge and a criterion of truth). These principles lead to the following statements. (1) The reality is the dialectical unity of the opposites: the objective reality and the non-objective (subjective) reality. (2) The system mankind + means of knowledge belongs to the subjective reality and is called system of reference. In this wide sense, the system of reference is the universal informational gnostic basis (i.e. the system consisting of natural objects and processes, of constructed devices and instruments, of sum of human knowledge and skills) created and used by mankind for the purpose of knowledge of the world. (3) The opposites are bounds of each other. Hence, the principle of objectivity of the physical laws is formulated as follows: the objective physical laws must not contain mentions of system of reference (in particular, references to procedure of measurement or of calculation). (4) The main informational property of the unitary system set of researches physical objects + system of reference is that the system of reference determines (measures, calculates) the parameters of the subsystem set of researched physical objects (for example, the coordinates x_M, y_M, zM of the object M); the parameters characterize the system of reference (for example, the system of coordinates). (5) The main gnostic property of the unitary system set of researches physical objects + system of reference is that the system of reference defines (formulates) the physical laws (i.e. creates the theories); the physical laws characterize the system of reference. (6) The parameters which take on values independently of existence of the researched physical objects characterize the system of reference. For example, the clock C, a part of the system of reference S, determines (but it does not measure!) the time t_C; the time tC characterizes the clock C. If all clocks have been synchronized, the universal time tS characterizes the system of reference S. (7) Researched physical object M and a clock are mutually independent objects. Hence, the coordinates x_M, y_M, zM and the time tS are mutually independent parameters. (8) The informational one-to-one correspondence between motion of object M and physical clock-process in clock is established (is defined) by man. For example, it has a form: dx_M/dtS ≡ v_x_M. Consequences: (a) information about the world is an ordered information because the system of reference S is an ordered and universal system. This information is an objective one if it does not depend on a system of reference; (b) mathematical operations on physical quantities with the coordinates and with the time are allowed by the laws of logic because the set of researches physical objects + system of reference is a unitary system; (c) the principle of existence and of transformation of coordinates: there are no coordinates and no transformation of coordinates in general, and there exist the coordinates x_M, y_M, zM and transformation of the coordinates x_M, y_M, zM of the object M only; (d) the special and general theories of relativity are an erroneous theories because their foundations, firstly, do not satisfy the principle of objectivity of the physical laws, secondly, they contradict the principle of transformation of coordinates and, thirdly, they assume mutual dependence between the researched physical object and a clock (i.e. between coordinates and time); (e) quantum mechanics does not satisfy the principle of objectivity of the physical laws.

Correction of temperature and bulk electrical conductivity effects on soil water content measurements using ECH2O EC-5, TE and 5TE sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenbaum, Ulrike; Huisman, Sander; Vrba, Jan; Vereecken, Harry; Bogena, Heye

2010-05-01

For a monitoring of dynamic spatiotemporal soil moisture patterns at the catchment scale, automated and continuously measuring systems that provide spatial coverage and high temporal resolution are needed. Promising techniques like wireless sensor networks (e.g. SoilNet) have to integrate low-cost electromagnetic soil water content sensors [1], [2]. However, the measurement accuracy of such sensors is often deteriorated by effects of temperature and soil bulk electrical conductivity. The objective of this study is to derive and validate correction functions for such temperature and electrical conductivity effects for the ECH2O EC-5, TE and 5TE sensors. We used dielectric liquids with known dielectric properties for two different laboratory experiments. In the first experiment, the temperature of eight reference liquids with permittivity ranging from 7 to 42 was varied from 5 to 40°C. All sensor types showed an underestimation of permittivity for low temperatures and an overestimation for high temperatures. In the second experiment, the conductivity of the reference liquids was increased by adding NaCl. The highest deviations occurred for high permittivity and electrical conductivity between ~0.8 and 1.5 dS/m (underestimation from 8 to 16 permittivity units depending on sensor type). For higher electrical conductivity (2.5 dS/m), the permittivity was overestimated (10 permittivity units for the EC-5 and 7 for the 5TE sensor). Based on these measurements on reference liquids, we derived empirical correction functions that are able to correct thermal and conductivity effects on measured sensor response. These correction functions were validated using three soil samples (coarse sand, silty clay loam and bentonite). For the temperature correction function, the results corresponded better with theoretical predictions after correction for temperature effects on the sensor circuitry. It was also shown that the application of the conductivity correction functions improved the accuracy of the soil water content predictions considerably. References: [1] Bogena, H.R., J.A. Huisman, C. Oberdörster, H. Vereecken (2007): Evaluation of a low-cost soil water content sensor for wireless network applications. Journal of Hydrology: 344, 32- 42. [2] Rosenbaum, U., Huisman, J.A., Weuthen, A., Vereecken, H. and Bogena, H.R. (2010): Quantification of sensor-to-sensor variability of the ECH2O EC-5, TE and 5TE sensors in dielectric liquids. Accepted for publication in VZJ (09/2009).

Characterization of the reference wave in a compact digital holographic camera.

PubMed

Park, I S; Middleton, R J C; Coggrave, C R; Ruiz, P D; Coupland, J M

2018-01-01

A hologram is a recording of the interference between an unknown object wave and a coherent reference wave. Providing the object and reference waves are sufficiently separated in some region of space and the reference beam is known, a high-fidelity reconstruction of the object wave is possible. In traditional optical holography, high-quality reconstruction is achieved by careful reillumination of the holographic plate with the exact same reference wave that was used at the recording stage. To reconstruct high-quality digital holograms the exact parameters of the reference wave must be known mathematically. This paper discusses a technique that obtains the mathematical parameters that characterize a strongly divergent reference wave that originates from a fiber source in a new compact digital holographic camera. This is a lensless design that is similar in principle to a Fourier hologram, but because of the large numerical aperture, the usual paraxial approximations cannot be applied and the Fourier relationship is inexact. To characterize the reference wave, recordings of quasi-planar object waves are made at various angles of incidence using a Dammann grating. An optimization process is then used to find the reference wave that reconstructs a stigmatic image of the object wave regardless of the angle of incidence.

Dietary advice for muscularity, leanness and weight control in Men's Health magazine: a content analysis.

PubMed

Cook, Toni M; Russell, Jean M; Barker, Margo E

2014-10-11

The dietary content of advice in men's lifestyle magazines has not been closely scrutinised. We carried out an analysis of such content in all 2009 issues (n = 11) of Men's Health (MH) focusing on muscularity, leanness and weight control. Promotion of a mesomorphic body image underpinned advice to affect muscle building and control weight. Diet advice was underpinned by a strong pseudo-scientific discourse, with citation of expert sources widely used to legitimise the information. Frequently multiple dietary components were advocated within one article e.g. fat, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamine, zinc and high-glycaemic index foods. Furthermore advice would cover numerous nutritional effects, e.g. strengthening bones, reducing stress and boosting testosterone, with little contextualisation. The emphasis on attainment of a mesomorphic body image permitted promotion of slimming diets.Advice to increase calorie and protein intake to augment muscle mass was frequent (183 and 262 references, respectively). Such an anabolic diet was advised in various ways, including consumption of traditional protein foods (217 references) and sports foods (107 references), thereby replicating muscle magazines' support for nutritional supplements. Although advice to increase consumption of red meat was common (52 references), fish and non-flesh sources of protein (eggs, nuts & pulses, and soy products) together exceeded red meat in number of recommendations (206 references). Advice widely asserted micronutrients and phytochemicals from plant food (161 references) as being important in muscle building. This emphasis diverges from stereotypical gender-based food consumption patterns.Dietary advice for control of body weight largely replicated that of muscularity, with strong endorsement to consume fruits and vegetables (59 references), diets rich in nuts and pulses and fish (66 references), as well as specific micronutrients and phytochemicals (62 references). Notably there was emphasis on fat-burning, good fats and consumption of single foods, with relatively little mention of dietary restriction. Despite the widespread use of scientific information to endorse dietary advice, the content, format and scientific basis of dietary content of MH leaves much to be desired. The dietary advice as provided may not be conducive to public health.

Learning Objects Update: Review and Critical Approach to Content Aggregation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balatsoukas, Panos; Morris, Anne; O'Brien, Ann

2008-01-01

The structure and composite nature of a learning object is still open to interpretation. Although several theoretical studies advocate integrated approaches to the structure and aggregation level of learning objects, in practice, many content specifications, such as SCORM, IMS Content Packaging, and course authoring tools, do not explicitly state…

[Dietary reference intakes of trace elements for Japanese and problems in clinical fields].

PubMed

Inoue, Yoshifumi

2016-07-01

In the dietary reference intakes, EAR(estimated average requirement), RDA(recommended dietary allowance), AL(adequate intake), DG(tentative dietary goal for preventing life style related diseases) and UL(tolerable upper intake level) of eight types of trace elements (iron: Fe, zinc: Zn, copper: Cu, manganese: Mn, iodine: I, selenium: Se, chromium: Cr, molybdenum: Mo) have been set. However, in the meals of hospitals, only iron of which has been taken into account. The content of these trace elements in the enteral nutrient released after 2000 was determined by considering the content of dietary reference intakes of trace elements for Japanese and considered so not fall into deficiency. However, enteral nutrient must be used considering the content of Zn, Cu and the Zn/Cu ratio, the selenium content, and the route of administration, in order to avoid falling into deficiency.

Two-Year-Olds Use Pragmatic Cues to Differentiate Reference to Objects and Actions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomasello, Michael; Akhtar, Nameera

1995-01-01

Attempts to determine whether children can use social-pragmatic cues to determine "what kind" of referent, object, or action an adult intends to indicate with a novel word. Doubts that children assume that a novel word refers to whatever nameless object is present. Suggests that lexical acquisition rests fundamentally on children's…

Degrading and non-degrading sex in popular music: a content analysis.

PubMed

Primack, Brian A; Gold, Melanie A; Schwarz, Eleanor B; Dalton, Madeline A

2008-01-01

Those exposed to more degrading sexual references in popular music are more likely to initiate intercourse at a younger age. The purpose of this study was to perform a content analysis of contemporary popular music with particular attention paid to the prevalence of degrading and non-degrading sexual references. We also aimed to determine if sexual references of each subtype were associated with other song characteristics and/or content. We used Billboard magazine to identify the top popular songs in 2005. Two independent coders each analyzed all of these songs (n = 279) for degrading and non-degrading sexual references. As measured with Cohen's kappa scores, inter-rater agreement on degrading vs. non-degrading sex was substantial. Mentions of substance use, violence, and weapon carrying were also coded. Of the 279 songs identified, 103 (36.9%) contained references to sexual activity. Songs with references to degrading sex were more common than songs with references to non-degrading sex (67 [65.0%] vs. 36 [35.0%], p < 0.001). Songs with degrading sex were most commonly Rap (64.2%), whereas songs with non-degrading sex were most likely Country (44.5%) or Rhythm & Blues/Hip-Hop (27.8%). Compared with songs that had no mention of sexual activity, songs with degrading sex were more likely to contain references to substance use, violence, and weapon carrying. Songs with non-degrading sex were no more likely to mention these other risk behaviors. References to sexual activity are common in popular music, and degrading sexual references are more prevalent than non-degrading references. References to degrading sex also frequently appear with references to other risky behaviors.

Content-based intermedia synchronization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Dong-Young; Sampath-Kumar, Srihari; Rangan, P. Venkat

1995-03-01

Inter-media synchronization methods developed until now have been based on syntactic timestamping of video frames and audio samples. These methods are not fully appropriate for the synchronization of multimedia objects which may have to be accessed individually by their contents, e.g. content-base data retrieval. We propose a content-based multimedia synchronization scheme in which a media stream is viewed as hierarchial composition of smaller objects which are logically structured based on the contents, and the synchronization is achieved by deriving temporal relations among logical units of media object. content-based synchronization offers several advantages such as, elimination of the need for time stamping, freedom from limitations of jitter, synchronization of independently captured media objects in video editing, and compensation for inherent asynchronies in capture times of video and audio.

Solving multi-objective optimization problems in conservation with the reference point method

PubMed Central

Dujardin, Yann; Chadès, Iadine

2018-01-01

Managing the biodiversity extinction crisis requires wise decision-making processes able to account for the limited resources available. In most decision problems in conservation biology, several conflicting objectives have to be taken into account. Most methods used in conservation either provide suboptimal solutions or use strong assumptions about the decision-maker’s preferences. Our paper reviews some of the existing approaches to solve multi-objective decision problems and presents new multi-objective linear programming formulations of two multi-objective optimization problems in conservation, allowing the use of a reference point approach. Reference point approaches solve multi-objective optimization problems by interactively representing the preferences of the decision-maker with a point in the criteria (objectives) space, called the reference point. We modelled and solved the following two problems in conservation: a dynamic multi-species management problem under uncertainty and a spatial allocation resource management problem. Results show that the reference point method outperforms classic methods while illustrating the use of an interactive methodology for solving combinatorial problems with multiple objectives. The method is general and can be adapted to a wide range of ecological combinatorial problems. PMID:29293650

The Presentation of Technology for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Textbooks: Content Courses for Elementary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Dustin; Hollas, Victoria; Klespis, Mark

2017-01-01

This article presents an overview of the ways technology is presented in textbooks written for mathematics content courses for prospective elementary teachers. Six popular textbooks comprising a total of more than 5,000 pages were examined, and 1,055 distinct references to technology were identified. These references are coded according to…

Getting the Picture: Iconicity Does Not Affect Representation-Referent Confusion

PubMed Central

Wimmer, Marina C.; Robinson, Elizabeth J.; Koenig, Laura; Corder, Emma

2014-01-01

Three experiments examined 3- to 5-year-olds' (N = 428) understanding of the relationship between pictorial iconicity (photograph, colored drawing, schematic drawing) and the real world referent. Experiments 1 and 2 explored pictorial iconicity in picture-referent confusion after the picture-object relationship has been established. Pictorial iconicity had no effect on referential confusion when the referent changed after the picture had been taken/drawn (Experiment 1) and when the referent and the picture were different from the outset (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 investigated whether children are sensitive to iconicity to begin with. Children deemed photographs from a choice of varying iconicity representations as best representations for object reference. Together, findings suggest that iconicity plays a role in establishing a picture-object relation per se but is irrelevant once children have accepted that a picture represents an object. The latter finding may reflect domain general representational abilities. PMID:25247708

Spatial Updating According to a Fixed Reference Direction of a Briefly Viewed Layout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Hui; Mou, Weimin; McNamara, Timothy P.

2011-01-01

Three experiments examined the role of reference directions in spatial updating. Participants briefly viewed an array of five objects. A non-egocentric reference direction was primed by placing a stick under two objects in the array at the time of learning. After a short interval, participants detected which object had been moved at a novel view…

Integrated Patient Education on U.S. Hospital Web Sites.

PubMed

Huang, Edgar; Wu, Kerong; Edwards, Kelsey

2016-01-01

Based on a census of the 2015 Most Wired Hospitals, this content analysis aimed to find out how patient education has been integrated on these best IT hospitals' Web sites to serve the purposes of marketing and meeting online visitors' needs. This study will help hospitals to understand where the weaknesses are in their interactive patient education implementation and come up with a smart integration strategy. The study found that 70% of these hospitals had adopted interactive patient education contents, 76.6% of such contents were from a third-party developer, and only 20% of the hospitals linked their patient education contents to one or more of the hospital's resources while 26% cross-references such contents. The authors concluded that more hospitals should take advantage of modern information communication technology to cross-reference their patient education contents and to integrate such contents into their overall online marketing strategy to benefit patients and themselves.

Quality of radiologists' communication with other clinicians--As experienced by radiologists.

PubMed

Fatahi, Nabi; Krupic, Ferid; Hellström, Mikael

2015-06-01

The objective was to study radiologists' experiences of written and oral communication with referring clinicians, and its potential implications for decision making and patient care. Focus group discussions with 12 radiologists were carried out. Content analysis was used for interpretation of the data. Radiologists reported many problems with the request forms: improper choice of imaging examinations and procedures, insufficient patient history/information, unclear clinical questions, lack of specific terms and unclear abbreviations on the request form. Radiologists also mentioned other difficulties: insufficient attention among participating clinicians during conferences, difficulties in reaching the referring clinicians by telephone, and communication difficulties in making priorities between patients. To overcome these problems, radiologists suggested increased contacts between radiologists and clinicians, and educational activities. A number of difficulties in oral and written communication were highlighted. The use of medical imaging may be optimized by joint discussions on indications and methodology and educational activities, such as lectures, seminars and conferences, directed to the medical community at large. Improved communication between radiologists and referring clinicians should be encouraged to ensure diagnostic quality, correct patient prioritization and patient safety, and to avoid unnecessary delays and costs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extraction of composite visual objects from audiovisual materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durand, Gwenael; Thienot, Cedric; Faudemay, Pascal

1999-08-01

An effective analysis of Visual Objects appearing in still images and video frames is required in order to offer fine grain access to multimedia and audiovisual contents. In previous papers, we showed how our method for segmenting still images into visual objects could improve content-based image retrieval and video analysis methods. Visual Objects are used in particular for extracting semantic knowledge about the contents. However, low-level segmentation methods for still images are not likely to extract a complex object as a whole but instead as a set of several sub-objects. For example, a person would be segmented into three visual objects: a face, hair, and a body. In this paper, we introduce the concept of Composite Visual Object. Such an object is hierarchically composed of sub-objects called Component Objects.

Quality and Content of Individualized Habilitation Plan Objectives in Residential Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stancliffe, Roger J.; Hayden, Mary F.; Lakin, K. Charlie

2000-01-01

The quality, number, and content of residential Individualized Habilitation Plans (IHP) objectives were evaluated for 155 adult institution and community residents. Over 90 percent of objectives were functional and age appropriate. Community residents had significantly more IHP objectives and also had objectives from a wider variety of content…

Mobile platform for treatment of stroke: A case study of tele-assistance

PubMed Central

Torres Zenteno, Arturo Henry; Fernández, Francisco; Palomino-García, Alfredo; Moniche, Francisco; Escudero, Irene; Jiménez-Hernández, M Dolores; Caballero, Auxiliadora; Escobar-Rodriguez, Germán; Parra, Carlos

2015-01-01

This article presents the technological solution of a tele-assistance process for stroke patients in acute phase in the Seville metropolitan area. The main objective of this process is to reduce time from symptom onset to treatment of acute phase stroke patients by means of telemedicine, regarding mobility between an intensive care unit ambulance and an expert center and activating the pre-hospital care phase. The technological platform covering the process has been defined following an interoperability model based on standards and with a focus on service-oriented architecture focus. Messaging definition has been designed according to the reference model of the CEN/ISO 13606, messages content follows the structure of archetypes. An XDS-b (Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing-b) transaction messaging has been designed according to Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise profile for archetype notifications and update enquiries.This research has been performed by a multidisciplinary group. The Virgen del Rocío University Hospital acts as Reference Hospital and the Public Company for Healthcare as mobility surroundings. PMID:25975806

Public health economic evaluation of different European Union–level policy options aimed at reducing population dietary trans fat intake12

PubMed Central

Mouratidou, Theodora; Livaniou, Anastasia

2016-01-01

Background: The adverse relation between dietary trans fatty acid (TFA) intake and coronary artery disease risk is well established. Many countries in the European Union (EU) and worldwide have implemented different policies to reduce the TFA intake of their populations. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the added value of EU-level action by estimating the cost-effectiveness of 3 possible EU-level policy measures to reduce population dietary TFA intake. This was calculated against a reference situation of not implementing any EU-level policy (i.e., by assuming only national or self-regulatory measures). Design: We developed a mathematical model to compare different policy options at the EU level: 1) to do nothing beyond the current state (reference situation), 2) to impose mandatory TFA labeling of prepackaged foods, 3) to seek voluntary agreements toward further reducing industrially produced TFA (iTFA) content in foods, and 4) to impose a legislative limit for iTFA content in foods. Results: The model indicated that to impose an EU-level legal limit or to make voluntary agreements may, over the course of a lifetime (85 y), avoid the loss of 3.73 and 2.19 million disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), respectively, and save >51 and 23 billion euros when compared with the reference situation. Implementing mandatory TFA labeling can also avoid the loss of 0.98 million DALYs, but this option incurs more costs than it saves compared with the reference option. Conclusions: The model indicates that there is added value of an EU-level action, either via a legal limit or through voluntary agreements, with the legal limit option producing the highest additional health benefits. Introducing mandatory TFA labeling for the EU common market may provide some additional health benefits; however, this would likely not be a cost-effective strategy. PMID:27680991

Accuracy and readability of cardiovascular entries on Wikipedia: are they reliable learning resources for medical students?

PubMed Central

Azer, Samy A; AlSwaidan, Nourah M; Alshwairikh, Lama A; AlShammari, Jumana M

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate accuracy of content and readability level of English Wikipedia articles on cardiovascular diseases, using quality and readability tools. Methods Wikipedia was searched on the 6 October 2013 for articles on cardiovascular diseases. Using a modified DISCERN (DISCERN is an instrument widely used in assessing online resources), articles were independently scored by three assessors. The readability was calculated using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. The inter-rater agreement between evaluators was calculated using the Fleiss κ scale. Results This study was based on 47 English Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases. The DISCERN scores had a median=33 (IQR=6). Four articles (8.5%) were of good quality (DISCERN score 40–50), 39 (83%) moderate (DISCERN 30–39) and 4 (8.5%) were poor (DISCERN 10–29). Although the entries covered the aetiology and the clinical picture, there were deficiencies in the pathophysiology of diseases, signs and symptoms, diagnostic approaches and treatment. The number of references varied from 1 to 127 references; 25.9±29.4 (mean±SD). Several problems were identified in the list of references and citations made in the articles. The readability of articles was 14.3±1.7 (mean±SD); consistent with the readability level for college students. In comparison, Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine 18th edition had more tables, less references and no significant difference in number of graphs, images, illustrations or readability level. The overall agreement between the evaluators was good (Fleiss κ 0.718 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.83). Conclusions The Wikipedia entries are not aimed at a medical audience and should not be used as a substitute to recommended medical resources. Course designers and students should be aware that Wikipedia entries on cardiovascular diseases lack accuracy, predominantly due to errors of omission. Further improvement of the Wikipedia content of cardiovascular entries would be needed before they could be considered a supplementary resource. PMID:26443650

Fiber concentrate from orange (Citrus sinensis L.) bagase: characterization and application as bakery product ingredient.

PubMed

Romero-Lopez, Maria R; Osorio-Diaz, Perla; Bello-Perez, Luis A; Tovar, Juscelino; Bernardino-Nicanor, Aurea

2011-01-01

Orange is a tropical fruit used in the juice industry, yielding important quantities of by products. The objective of this work was to obtain a dietary fiber-rich orange bagasse product (DFROBP), evaluate its chemical composition and its use in the preparation of a bakery product (muffin). Muffins containing two different levels of DFROBP were studied regarding chemical composition, in vitro starch digestibility, predicted glyceamic index and acceptability in a sensory test. DFROBP showed low fat and high dietary fiber contents. The soluble and insoluble dietary fiber fractions were balanced, which is of importance for the health beneficial effects of fiber sources. DFROBP-containing muffins showed the same rapidly digestible starch content as the reference muffin, whilst the slowly digestible starch level increased with the addition of DFROBP. However, the resistant starch content decreased when DFROBP increased in the muffin. The addition of DFROBP to muffin decreased the predicted glyceamic index, but no difference was found between the muffins prepared with the two DFROBP levels. The sensory score did not show difference between control muffin and that added with 10% of DFROBP. The addition of DFROBP to bakery products can be an alternative for people requiring low glyceamic response.

Characterization of Scots pine stump-root biomass as feed-stock for gasification.

PubMed

Eriksson, Daniel; Weiland, Fredrik; Hedman, Henry; Stenberg, Martin; Öhrman, Olov; Lestander, Torbjörn A; Bergsten, Urban; Öhman, Marcus

2012-01-01

The main objective was to explore the potential for gasifying Scots pine stump-root biomass (SRB). Washed thin roots, coarse roots, stump heartwood and stump sapwood were characterized (solid wood, milling and powder characteristics) before and during industrial processing. Non-slagging gasification of the SRB fuels and a reference stem wood was successful, and the gasification parameters (synthesis gas and bottom ash characteristics) were similar. However, the heartwood fuel had high levels of extractives (≈19%) compared to the other fuels (2-8%) and thereby ≈16% higher energy contents but caused disturbances during milling, storage, feeding and gasification. SRB fuels could be sorted automatically according to their extractives and moisture contents using near-infrared spectroscopy, and their amounts and quality in forests can be predicted using routinely collected stand data, biomass functions and drill core analyses. Thus, SRB gasification has great potential and the proposed characterizations exploit it. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of sewage sledge and their bio-char on some soil qualities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathi, Hamed; Movahedi Naeini, Seyed Alireza; Mirzanejad, Mojan

2015-04-01

Bio char (BC) application as a soil amendment has achieved much interest and has been found that considerably improves soil nutrient status and crop yields on poor soils. However, information on the effect of BC on illitic soils in temperate climates is still insufficient. The primary objective in this study was to assess the influence of biochar on the soil physical properties, nutrient status and plant production. The result may also provide a reference for the use of biochars as a solution in agricultural waste management when sludge with considerable load of pathogens are involved. Soybean was already grown one year and will be repeated one more year with same treatments. The investigated soil properties included soil water content and mechanical resistance, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium- acetate-lactate (CAL)-extractable P (PCAL) and K (KCAL), C, N, and nitrogen-supplying potential (NSP). The results show soil water content, potassium uptake and plant yield were increased. Heating sludge removed all pathogens and soybean yield was increased by 6%.

Using superheroes such as Hawkeye, Wonder Woman and the Invisible Woman in the physics classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitzgerald, Barry W.

2018-05-01

Communication of difficult concepts in the physics classroom can be negatively affected by the absence of a strong link between physics content and the experiences or interests of students. One possible method towards addressing this issue is to motivate physics content with reference to popular culture figures such as superheroes. We find ourselves in an age where superhero films are immensely popular with numerous superhero films scheduled for release over the coming years. With many students familiar with many of these characters and their superpowers, superheroes can facilitate a unique platform to aid in the dissemination of physics materials in the classroom. In this paper, we present three examples where superheroes can be used to motivate learning objectives in physics and, if desired, promote critical thinking on behalf of the student. We also reflect on how using the superhero genre in the classroom can be used to address underrepresentation of women, stereotyping, and diversity issues in physics.

Out of Reach, Out of Mind? Infants' Comprehension of References to Hidden Inaccessible Objects.

PubMed

Osina, Maria A; Saylor, Megan M; Ganea, Patricia A

2017-09-01

This study investigated the nature of infants' difficulty understanding references to hidden inaccessible objects. Twelve-month-old infants (N = 32) responded to the mention of objects by looking at, pointing at, or approaching them when the referents were visible or accessible, but not when they were hidden and inaccessible (Experiment I). Twelve-month-olds (N = 16) responded robustly when a container with the hidden referent was moved from a previously inaccessible position to an accessible position before the request, but failed to respond when the reverse occurred (Experiment II). This suggests that infants might be able to track the hidden object's dislocations and update its accessibility as it changes. Knowing the hidden object is currently inaccessible inhibits their responding. Older, 16-month-old (N = 17) infants' performance was not affected by object accessibility. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The company objects keep: Linking referents together during cross-situational word learning.

PubMed

Zettersten, Martin; Wojcik, Erica; Benitez, Viridiana L; Saffran, Jenny

2018-04-01

Learning the meanings of words involves not only linking individual words to referents but also building a network of connections among entities in the world, concepts, and words. Previous studies reveal that infants and adults track the statistical co-occurrence of labels and objects across multiple ambiguous training instances to learn words. However, it is less clear whether, given distributional or attentional cues, learners also encode associations amongst the novel objects. We investigated the consequences of two types of cues that highlighted object-object links in a cross-situational word learning task: distributional structure - how frequently the referents of novel words occurred together - and visual context - whether the referents were seen on matching backgrounds. Across three experiments, we found that in addition to learning novel words, adults formed connections between frequently co-occurring objects. These findings indicate that learners exploit statistical regularities to form multiple types of associations during word learning.

Mathematical Practice in Textbooks Analysis: Praxeological Reference Models, the Case of Proportion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wijayanti, Dyana; Winsløw, Carl

2017-01-01

We present a new method in textbook analysis, based on so-called praxeological reference models focused on specific content at task level. This method implies that the mathematical contents of a textbook (or textbook part) is analyzed in terms of the tasks and techniques which are exposed to or demanded from readers; this can then be interpreted…

Content Analysis of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drugs in Popular Music

PubMed Central

Primack, Brian A.; Dalton, Madeline A.; Carroll, Mary V.; Agarwal, Aaron A.; Fine, Michael J.

2010-01-01

Objective To perform a comprehensive content analysis of substance use in contemporary popular music. Design We analyzed the 279 most popular songs of 2005 according to Billboard magazine. Two coders working independently used a standardized data collection instrument to code portrayals of substance use. Outcome Measures Presence and explicit use of substances and motivations for, associations with, and consequences of substance use. Results Of the 279 songs, 93 (33.3%) portrayed substance use, with an average of 35.2 substance references per song-hour. Portrayal of substance use varied significantly (P<.001) by genre, with 1 or more references in 3 of 35 pop songs (9%), 9 of 66 rock songs (14%), 11 of 55 R&B/hip-hop songs (20%), 22 of 61 country songs (36%), and 48 of 62 rap songs (77%). While only 2.9% of the 279 songs portrayed tobacco use, 23.7% depicted alcohol use, 13.6% depicted marijuana use, and 11.5% depicted other or unspecified substance use. In the 93 songs with substance use, it was most often motivated by peer/social pressure (45 [48%]) or sex (28 [30%]); use was commonly associated with partying (50 [54%]), sex (43 [46%]), violence (27 [29%]), and/or humor (22 [24%]). Only 4 songs (4%) contained explicit antiuse messages, and none portrayed substance refusal. Most songs with substance use (63 [68%]) portrayed more positive than negative consequences; these positive consequences were most commonly social, sexual, financial, or emotional. Conclusions The average adolescent is exposed to approximately 84 references to explicit substance use daily in popular songs, and this exposure varies widely by musical genre. The substance use depicted in popular music is frequently motivated by peer acceptance and sex, and it has highly positive associations and consequences. PMID:18250243

Reference Accuracy among Research Articles Published in "Research on Social Work Practice"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilks, Scott E.; Geiger, Jennifer R.; Bates, Samantha M.; Wright, Amy L.

2017-01-01

Objective: The objective was to examine reference errors in research articles published in Research on Social Work Practice. High rates of reference errors in other top social work journals have been noted in previous studies. Methods: Via a sampling frame of 22,177 total references among 464 research articles published in the previous decade, a…

["In psychiatry, nothing more degrading can happen to you"].

PubMed

Frajo-Apor, Beatrice; Stippler, Maria; Meise, Ullrich

2011-08-01

OBJECTIVE The subjective view of psychiatric patients on mechanical restraint is to be examined and the necessity of dealing with this issue consciously is to be pointed out. METHODS 14 patients, who experienced mechanical restraint during a stay in a psychiatric hospital, were questioned in a problem-centered, semi-structured interview. Data analysis was based on inductive category formation, using Mayring's qualitative content analysis. RESULTS Mechanical restraint is primarily experienced as stressful or traumatizing. Patients complain about a lack of information, support and response when referring to mechanical restraint. CONCLUSION Reports of patients who have experienced coercive measures should be increasingly integrated into clinical practice. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Competition between multiple words for a referent in cross-situational word learning

PubMed Central

Benitez, Viridiana L.; Yurovsky, Daniel; Smith, Linda B.

2016-01-01

Three experiments investigated competition between word-object pairings in a cross-situational word-learning paradigm. Adults were presented with One-Word pairings, where a single word labeled a single object, and Two-Word pairings, where two words labeled a single object. In addition to measuring learning of these two pairing types, we measured competition between words that refer to the same object. When the word-object co-occurrences were presented intermixed in training (Experiment 1), we found evidence for direct competition between words that label the same referent. Separating the two words for an object in time eliminated any evidence for this competition (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 demonstrated that adding a linguistic cue to the second label for a referent led to different competition effects between adults who self-reported different language learning histories, suggesting both distinctiveness and language learning history affect competition. Finally, in all experiments, competition effects were unrelated to participants’ explicit judgments of learning, suggesting that competition reflects the operating characteristics of implicit learning processes. Together, these results demonstrate that the role of competition between overlapping associations in statistical word-referent learning depends on time, the distinctiveness of word-object pairings, and language learning history. PMID:27087742

Selection of internal reference genes for normalization of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis in the rumen epithelium.

PubMed

Die, Jose V; Baldwin, Ransom L; Rowland, Lisa J; Li, Robert; Oh, Sunghee; Li, Congjun; Connor, Erin E; Ranilla, Maria-Jose

2017-01-01

The rumen is lined on the luminal side by a stratified squamous epithelium that is responsible for not only absorption, but also transport, extensive short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism and protection. Butyrate has been demonstrated to initiate the differentiation of the tissue following introduction of solid feed to the weaning neonate as well as affecting the metabolism of other nutrients and absorption of nutrients in in vitro experiments. The objective of the present study was to validate expression stability of eight putative reference genes bovine rumen, considering the intrinsic heterogeneity of bovine rumen with regard to different luminal characteristics due to direct infusion of butyrate to double the intra-ruminal content of the rumen liquor. Our focus was on identifying stable reference genes which are suitable to normalize real-time RT-qPCR experiments from rumen samples collected from clinical assays, irrespective of localization within the organ and the across physiological state. The most stably expressed genes included: ACTB, UXT, DBNDD2, RPS9, DDX54 and HMBS. Their high stability values suggest these reference genes will facilitate better evaluation of variation of across an array of conditions including: localization within the rumen, differences among cattle fed an array of rations, as well as response to development in the weaning animal. Moreover, we anticipate these reference genes may be useful for expression studies in other ruminants.

Portrayal of tobacco smoking in popular women's magazines: a content analysis.

PubMed

Kasujee, Naseera; Britton, John; Cranwell, Jo; Lyons, Ailsa; Bains, Manpreet

2017-09-01

Whilst many countries have introduced legislation prohibiting tobacco advertising and sponsorship, references to tobacco continue to appear in the media. This study quantified and characterized tobacco smoking content in popular women's magazines. The 10 top weekly and 5 monthly women's magazines most popular among 15-34 year olds in Britain published over a 3-month period were included. A content analysis was conducted for both written and visual content. In 146 magazines, there were 310 instances of tobacco content, the majority of which were positive towards smoking. Instances of celebrities smoking were most common (171, 55%), often in holiday or party settings that could be perceived to be luxurious, glamorous or fun. In all, 55 (18%) tobacco references related to fashion, which generally created an impression of smoking as a norm within the industry; and 34 (11%) text and image references to tobacco in TV and film. There were 50 (16%) reader-initiated mentions of smoking, typically in real-life stories or readers writing in to seek advice about smoking. Anti-smoking references including the hazards of smoking were infrequent (49; 16%). Although tobacco advertising is prohibited in Britain, women's magazines still appear to be promoting positive messages about tobacco and smoking. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Two-year-olds exclude novel objects as potential referents of novel words based on pragmatics.

PubMed

Grassmann, Susanne; Stracke, Marén; Tomasello, Michael

2009-09-01

Many studies have established that children tend to exclude objects for which they already have a name as potential referents of novel words. In the current study we asked whether this exclusion can be triggered by social-pragmatic context alone without pre-existing words as blockers. Two-year-old children watched an adult looking at a novel object while saying a novel word with excitement. In one condition the adult had not seen the object beforehand, and so the children interpreted the adult's utterance as referring to the gazed-at object. In another condition the adult and child had previously played jointly with the gazed-at object. In this case, children less often assumed that the adult was referring to the object but rather they searched for an alternative referent--presumably because they inferred that the gazed-at object was old news in their common ground with the adult and so not worthy of excited labeling. Since this inference based on exclusion is highly similar to that underlying the Principle of Contrast/Mutual Exclusivity, we propose that this principle is not purely lexical but rather is based on children's understanding of how and why people direct one another's attention to things either with or without language.

Circular common-path point diffraction interferometer.

PubMed

Du, Yongzhao; Feng, Guoying; Li, Hongru; Vargas, J; Zhou, Shouhuan

2012-10-01

A simple and compact point-diffraction interferometer with circular common-path geometry configuration is developed. The interferometer is constructed by a beam-splitter, two reflection mirrors, and a telescope system composed by two lenses. The signal and reference waves travel along the same path. Furthermore, an opaque mask containing a reference pinhole and a test object holder or test window is positioned in the common focal plane of the telescope system. The object wave is divided into two beams that take opposite paths along the interferometer. The reference wave is filtered by the reference pinhole, while the signal wave is transmitted through the object holder. The reference and signal waves are combined again in the beam-splitter and their interference is imaged in the CCD. The new design is compact, vibration insensitive, and suitable for the measurement of moving objects or dynamic processes.

Contents, Followers, and Retweets of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Advanced Molecular Detection (@CDC_AMD) Twitter Profile: Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Blankenship, Elizabeth B; Goff, Mary Elizabeth; Guinn, Amy J; Saroha, Nitin; Tse, Zion Tsz Ho

2018-01-01

Background The Office of Advanced Molecular Detection (OAMD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), manages a Twitter profile (@CDC_AMD). To our knowledge, no prior study has analyzed a CDC Twitter handle’s entire contents and all followers. Objective This study aimed to describe the contents and followers of the Twitter profile @CDC_AMD and to assess if attaching photos or videos to tweets posted by @CDC_AMD would increase retweet frequency. Methods Data of @CDC_AMD were retrieved on November 21, 2016. All followers (N=809) were manually categorized. All tweets (N=768) were manually coded for contents and whether photos or videos were attached. Retweet count for each tweet was recorded. Negative binomial regression models were applied to both the original and the retweet corpora. Results Among the 809 followers, 26.0% (210/809) were individual health professionals, 11.6% (94/809) nongovernmental organizations, 3.3% (27/809) government agencies’ accounts, 3.3% (27/809) accounts of media organizations and journalists, and 0.9% (7/809) academic journals, with 54.9% (444/809) categorized as miscellaneous. A total of 46.9% (360/768) of @CDC_AMD’s tweets referred to the Office’s website and their current research; 17.6% (135/768) referred to their scientists’ publications. Moreover, 80% (69/86) of tweets retweeted by @CDC_AMD fell into the miscellaneous category. In addition, 43.4% (333/768) of the tweets contained photos or videos, whereas the remaining 56.6% (435/768) did not. Attaching photos or videos to original @CDC_AMD tweets increases the number of retweets by 37% (probability ratio=1.37, 95% CI 1.13-1.67, P=.002). Content topics did not explain or modify this association. Conclusions This study confirms CDC health communicators’ experience that original tweets created by @CDC_AMD Twitter profile sharing images or videos (or their links) received more retweets. The current policy of attaching images to tweets should be encouraged. PMID:29610112

A content analysis of outdoor non-alcoholic beverage advertisements in Ghana

PubMed Central

Bragg, Marie A; Hardoby, Tamara; Pandit, Natasha G; Raji, Yemi R; Ogedegbe, Gbenga

2017-01-01

Objectives This was a two-part descriptive study designed to (1) assess the marketing themes and sugar content of beverages promoted in outdoor advertisements (ads) within a portion of Accra, Ghana and (2) quantify the types of ads that appeared along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway. Setting A 4.7 km2 area of Accra, Ghana and a 151 km region along the highway represented the target areas for collecting photos of outdoor beverage ads. Primary and secondary outcome measures Number and types of beverage ads, sugar content of beverage products featured in ads and marketing themes used in ads. Design Two researchers photographed outdoor beverage ads in a 4.7 km2 area of Accra and used content analysis to assess marketing themes of ads, including the portrayal of children, local culture, music, sports and health. Researchers also recorded the number and type of ads along a 151 km stretch of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway. Researchers assessed the added sugar content to determine which beverages were sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Results Seventy-seven photographed ads were analysed. Seventy-three per cent (72.7%) of ads featured SSBs, and Coca-Cola accounted for 59.7% of ads. Sixty-five per cent (64.9%) of all ads featured sodas, while 35.1% advertised energy drinks, bottled or canned juice drinks and coffee-based, milk-based and water-based beverages. Thirteen per cent (13%) of ads featured children and 5.2% were located near schools or playgrounds. Nine per cent (9.1%) of ads contained a reference to health and 7.8% contained a reference to fitness/strength/sport. Along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway, Coca-Cola accounted for 60% of branded ads. Conclusion This study demonstrates the frequency of outdoor SSB ads within a 4.7 km2 area of Accra, Ghana. Coca-Cola was featured in the majority of ads, and the child-targeted nature of some ads indicates a need to expand the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative pledge to reduce child-targeted marketing on a global scale. PMID:28588104

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Core Content for Undergraduate Medical Education in Spain: Recommendations of the Instructors' Group of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV).

PubMed

Casanova, J M; Pujol, R M; Ferrándiz, C; Betlloch, I; Bosch, R J; Fernández, V; Martí, R M; Requena, L; Moreno, J C; Alegre, V; Vilata, J J; Vilar, N; Jaén, P; Bielsa, I; Querol, I; Azón, T; Borrego, L; Mascaró, J M; Alsina, M; Díaz, R M; Suarez, R; García-Bustinduy, M; García-Patos, V; Estrach, T

2016-03-01

Skin problems are among the most frequent reasons for seeking medical attention in primary care. In recent years, as a result of the process of adapting medical curricula to the requirements of the European Higher Education Area, the amount of time students spend learning the concepts of dermatology has been reduced in many universities. In order to reach a consensus on core content for undergraduate education in dermatology, we sent a survey to the 57 members of the instructors' group of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV), asking their opinions on what objectives should be set for a dermatology course in Spain. A total of 131 previously selected objectives were listed. We then applied the Delphi method to achieve consensus on which ones the respondents considered important or very important (score≥4 on a Likert scale). Nineteen responses (33%) were received. On the second round of the Delphi process, 68 objectives achieved average scores of at least 4. The respondents emphasized that graduates should understand the structure and functions of the skin and know about bacterial, viral, and fungal skin infections, the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and the 4 main inflammatory dermatoses. Students should also learn about common complaints, such as itching and bald patches; the management of dermatologic emergencies; purpura and erythema nodosum as signs of internal disease; and the prevention of STDs and skin cancer. During clinical clerkships students should acquire the communication skills they will need to interview patients, write up a patient's medical history, and refer the patient to a specialist. The AEDV's group of instructors have defined their recommendations on the core content that medical faculties should adopt for the undergraduate subject of dermatology in Spain. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Automatic Recognition of Object Names in Literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnin, C.; Lesteven, S.; Derriere, S.; Oberto, A.

2008-08-01

SIMBAD is a database of astronomical objects that provides (among other things) their bibliographic references in a large number of journals. Currently, these references have to be entered manually by librarians who read each paper. To cope with the increasing number of papers, CDS develops a tool to assist the librarians in their work, taking advantage of the Dictionary of Nomenclature of Celestial Objects, which keeps track of object acronyms and of their origin. The program searches for object names directly in PDF documents by comparing the words with all the formats stored in the Dictionary of Nomenclature. It also searches for variable star names based on constellation names and for a large list of usual names such as Aldebaran or the Crab. Object names found in the documents often correspond to several astronomical objects. The system retrieves all possible matches, displays them with their object type given by SIMBAD, and lets the librarian make the final choice. The bibliographic reference can then be automatically added to the object identifiers in the database. Besides, the systematic usage of the Dictionary of Nomenclature, which is updated manually, permitted to automatically check it and to detect errors and inconsistencies. Last but not least, the program collects some additional information such as the position of the object names in the document (in the title, subtitle, abstract, table, figure caption...) and their number of occurrences. In the future, this will permit to calculate the 'weight' of an object in a reference and to provide SIMBAD users with an important new information, which will help them to find the most relevant papers in the object reference list.

The neurologic content of S. Weir Mitchell's fiction.

PubMed

Louis, Elan D; Horn, Stacy; Roth, Lisa Anne

2006-02-14

Silas Weir Mitchell (1829 to 1914), one of the most important neurologists in American Medicine, was known for his seminal work on the phantom limb syndrome, causalgia, and nerve injuries. He was also a prolific writer of novels and short stories. The neurologic content of this fiction has not been studied. To assess the extent that references to neurologic topics were present in Mitchell's fiction, whether these neurologic references reflected Mitchell's scientific interests and contributions, and whether his fictional accounts of neurologic topics would precede those in his scientific writings. The authors read Silas Weir Mitchell's novels and short stories. Seventeen (63.0%) of 27 fictional works contained neurologic references. Fifty-five (69.6%) of 79 references were brief (a single word or sentence). In two works, a neurologic theme was central to the plot. Some of the neurologic content was sophisticated (aphasia, brain laterality). Phantom limb syndrome, causalgia, and nerve injuries were not prominent in his fiction. Neurologic consequences of battle injuries were featured in 10 (37.0%) works. With the exception of "The Case of George Dedlow" (i.e., phantom limb syndrome), Mitchell's fictional accounts of neurologic topics followed his presentation of these topics in the scientific literature. The majority of Mitchell's fictional works contained references to neurologic topics but most contained brief references. The number of references to Mitchell's specific scientific interests (phantom limb syndrome, causalgia) was small, although more generally, references to the neurology of battle injuries occurred more frequently.

Hair Trace Element and Electrolyte Content in Women with Natural and In Vitro Fertilization-Induced Pregnancy.

PubMed

Skalny, Anatoly V; Tinkov, Alexey A; Voronina, Irina; Terekhina, Olga; Skalnaya, Margarita G; Kovas, Yulia

2018-01-01

The objective of the present study was to perform comparative analysis of hair trace element content in women with natural and in vitro fertilization (IVF)-induced pregnancy. Hair trace element content in 33 women with IVF-induced pregnancy and 99 age- and body mass index-matched control pregnant women (natural pregnancy) was assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results demonstrated that IVF-pregnant women are characterized by significantly lower hair levels of Cu, Fe, Si, Zn, Ca, Mg, and Ba at p < 0.05 or lower. Comparison of the individual levels with the national reference values demonstrated higher incidence of Fe and Cu deficiency in IVF-pregnant women in comparison to that of the controls. IVF pregnancy was also associated with higher hair As levels (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant interrelation between IVF pregnancy and hair Cu, Fe, Si, and As content. Hair Cu levels were also influenced by vitamin/mineral supplementation and the number of pregnancies, whereas hair Zn content was dependent on prepregnancy anthropometric parameters. In turn, planning of pregnancy had a significant impact on Mg levels in scalp hair. Generally, the obtained data demonstrate an elevated risk of copper, iron, zinc, calcium, and magnesium deficiency and arsenic overload in women with IVF-induced pregnancy. The obtained data indicate the necessity of regular monitoring of micronutrient status in IVF-pregnant women in order to prevent potential deleterious effects of altered mineral homeostasis.

Subclinical delusional ideation and a self-reference bias in everyday reasoning.

PubMed

Galbraith, Niall; Manktelow, Ken; Morris, Neil

2008-02-01

Previous studies (e.g. Moller & Husby, 2000; Blackwood et al., 2004) have revealed that delusional thinking is accompanied by an exaggerated focus upon the self and upon stimuli that are perceived to be related to the self. The objective was to examine whether those high in subclinical delusional ideation exhibit a heightened tendency for self-reference. Using a mixed design, healthy individuals, classified into high- and low-scoring groups on the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (Peters, Day, & Garety, 1996), were compared on everyday reasoning tasks across three experiments. High-PDI scorers, in contrast to the low-PDI group, rated self-referent objections to everyday arguments as stronger than other-referent objections and formulated more self-referent assertion-based objections to everyday arguments. The findings support the notion that subclinical delusional ideation is linked to a self-reference bias, which is evident in the sort of everyday thinking that people engage in when forming or evaluating their beliefs and which may contribute to delusion formation.

Using a statewide survey methodology to prioritize pediatric cardiology core content.

PubMed

Neal, Ashley E; Lehto, Elizabeth; Miller, Karen Hughes; Ziegler, Craig; Davis, Erin

2018-01-01

Although pediatrician-reported relevance of Canadian cardiology-specific objectives has been studied, similar data are not available for the 2016 American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) cardiology-specific objectives. This study asked Kentucky trainees, pediatricians, and pediatric cardiologists to identify "most important" content within these objectives. This cross-sectional study used an original, online survey instrument based on the 2016 ABP cardiology-specific objectives. We collected quantitative data (numerical indications of importance) and qualitative data (open-ended replies regarding missing content and difficulty in teaching and learning). Respondents indicated the top two choices of most important items within eight content areas. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and chi-square analysis were calculated. Content within categories was organized using naturally occurring "clusters" and "gaps" in scores. Common themes among open-ended qualitative responses were identified using Pandit's version of Glaser and Strauss Grounded theory (constant comparison). Of the 136 respondents, 23 (17%) were residents, 15 (11%) fellows, 85 (62%) pediatricians, and 13 (10%) pediatric cardiologists. Of attendings, 80% reported faculty/gratis faculty status. Naturally occurring clusters in respondent-designated importance resulted in ≤3 "most selected" objectives per content area. Objectives in "most selected" content pertained to initial diagnosis (recognition of abnormality/disease) (n = 16), possible emergent/urgent intervention required (n = 14), building a differential (n = 8), and planning a workup (n = 4). Conversely, themes for "least selected" content included comanagement with subspecialist (n = 15), knowledge useful in patient-family communication (n = 9), knowledge that can be referenced (as needed) (n = 7), and longitudinal/follow-up concerns (n = 5). This study demonstrated the utility of an online survey methodology to identify pediatric cardiology content perceived most important. Learners and faculty generally provided concordant responses regarding most important content within the cardiology-specific ABP objectives. Medical educators could apply this methodology to inform curriculum revision. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Pppp... - Determination of Weight Volatile Matter Content and Weight Solids Content of Reactive Adhesives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 13. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius... temperature. Record post bake sandwich weight. (D). Procedure B 1. Zero electronic balance. 2. Place two... the sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 15. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Pppp... - Determination of Weight Volatile Matter Content and Weight Solids Content of Reactive Adhesives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 13. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius... temperature. Record post bake sandwich weight. (D). Procedure B 1. Zero electronic balance. 2. Place two... the sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 15. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius...

The Prime Time Diet: A Content Analysis of Eating Behavior and Food Messages in Television Program Content and Commercials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Story, Mary; Faulkner, Patricia

1990-01-01

Identifies and analyzes messages related to food and eating behavior as presented on prime time television programing and commercials. Finds that food references occur an average of 4.8 times per 30 minutes and that over half of all food references were for low nutrient beverages and sweets, which is inconsistent with healthy dietary guidelines.…

Direct-to-digital holography and holovision

DOEpatents

Thomas, Clarence E.; Baylor, Larry R.; Hanson, Gregory R.; Rasmussen, David A.; Voelkl, Edgar; Castracane, James; Simkulet, Michelle; Clow, Lawrence

2000-01-01

Systems and methods for direct-to-digital holography are described. An apparatus includes a laser; a beamsplitter optically coupled to the laser; a reference beam mirror optically coupled to the beamsplitter; an object optically coupled to the beamsplitter, a focusing lens optically coupled to both the reference beam mirror and the object; and a digital recorder optically coupled to the focusing lens. A reference beam is incident upon the reference beam mirror at a non-normal angle, and the reference beam and an object beam are focused by the focusing lens at a focal plane of the digital recorder to form an image. The systems and methods provide advantages in that computer assisted holographic measurements can be made.

Virtual mask digital electron beam lithography

DOEpatents

Baylor, L.R.; Thomas, C.E.; Voelkl, E.; Moore, J.A.; Simpson, M.L.; Paulus, M.J.

1999-04-06

Systems and methods for direct-to-digital holography are described. An apparatus includes a laser; a beamsplitter optically coupled to the laser; a reference beam mirror optically coupled to the beamsplitter; an object optically coupled to the beamsplitter, a focusing lens optically coupled to both the reference beam mirror and the object; and a digital recorder optically coupled to the focusing lens. A reference beam is incident upon the reference beam mirror at a non-normal angle, and the reference beam and an object beam are focused by the focusing lens at a focal plane of the digital recorder to form an image. The systems and methods provide advantages in that computer assisted holographic measurements can be made. 5 figs.

Virtual mask digital electron beam lithography

DOEpatents

Baylor, Larry R.; Thomas, Clarence E.; Voelkl, Edgar; Moore, James A.; Simpson, Michael L.; Paulus, Michael J.

1999-01-01

Systems and methods for direct-to-digital holography are described. An apparatus includes a laser; a beamsplitter optically coupled to the laser; a reference beam mirror optically coupled to the beamsplitter; an object optically coupled to the beamsplitter, a focusing lens optically coupled to both the reference beam mirror and the object; and a digital recorder optically coupled to the focusing lens. A reference beam is incident upon the reference beam mirror at a non-normal angle, and the reference beam and an object beam are focused by the focusing lens at a focal plane of the digital recorder to form an image. The systems and methods provide advantages in that computer assisted holographic measurements can be made.

Micronutrient content in enteral nutrition formulas: comparison with the dietary reference values for healthy populations.

PubMed

Iacone, Roberto; Scanzano, Clelia; Santarpia, Lidia; D'Isanto, Anna; Contaldo, Franco; Pasanisi, Fabrizio

2016-03-31

The micronutrient content in standard enteral mixtures should be closer to the dietary reference values for a healthy population since standard enteral diets are formulated for subjects with no special nutritional needs. This study compares the micronutrient content of the most common enteral nutrition (EN) formulas with European dietary reference values (DRVs) for healthy population. Sixty-two nutritionally complete enteral formulas were considered. The micronutrient content was calculated by multiplying the value reported on the nutritional information panel of each formula by the daily dose usually prescribed. The comparison between the micronutrient content of all enteral formulas evaluated and the DRVs indicates that daily fluoride and vitamin K requirements were not covered, while an oversupply of many other micronutrients was provided. Moreover, in some enteral formulas, at a dose of 2000 Kcal/day, zinc and vitamin A content exceeded the tolerable upper limits and, for one diabetes-specific enteral formula, the chromium content exceeded the relevant European standards in both 1500 and 2000 Kcal/day diets. Most enteral formulas evaluated are generally suitable for patients on long-term total EN and formulas with higher content of a specific micronutrient may be a useful tool for patients affected by specific clinical conditions, at least for a period of time, then switching to standard enteral mixtures. The availability of nutritional enteral formulas, well balanced also for micronutrient intake, will further improve individualized treatments, particularly for patients on long-term total EN.

DNA content analysis allows discrimination between Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli.

PubMed

Naves, Lucila Langoni; da Silva, Marcos Vinícius; Fajardo, Emanuella Francisco; da Silva, Raíssa Bernardes; De Vito, Fernanda Bernadelli; Rodrigues, Virmondes; Lages-Silva, Eliane; Ramírez, Luis Eduardo; Pedrosa, André Luiz

2017-01-01

Trypanosoma cruzi, a human protozoan parasite, is the causative agent of Chagas disease. Currently the species is divided into six taxonomic groups. The genome of the CL Brener clone has been estimated to be 106.4-110.7 Mb, and DNA content analyses revealed that it is a diploid hybrid clone. Trypanosoma rangeli is a hemoflagellate that has the same reservoirs and vectors as T. cruzi; however, it is non-pathogenic to vertebrate hosts. The haploid genome of T. rangeli was previously estimated to be 24 Mb. The parasitic strains of T. rangeli are divided into KP1(+) and KP1(-). Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the DNA content in different strains of T. cruzi and T. rangeli by flow cytometry. All T. cruzi and T. rangeli strains yielded cell cycle profiles with clearly identifiable G1-0 (2n) and G2-M (4n) peaks. T. cruzi and T. rangeli genome sizes were estimated using the clone CL Brener and the Leishmania major CC1 as reference cell lines because their genome sequences have been previously determined. The DNA content of T. cruzi strains ranged from 87,41 to 108,16 Mb, and the DNA content of T. rangeli strains ranged from 63,25 Mb to 68,66 Mb. No differences in DNA content were observed between KP1(+) and KP1(-) T. rangeli strains. Cultures containing mixtures of the epimastigote forms of T. cruzi and T. rangeli strains resulted in cell cycle profiles with distinct G1 peaks for strains of each species. These results demonstrate that DNA content analysis by flow cytometry is a reliable technique for discrimination between T. cruzi and T. rangeli isolated from different hosts.

Alignment of learning objectives and assessments in therapeutics courses to foster higher-order thinking.

PubMed

FitzPatrick, Beverly; Hawboldt, John; Doyle, Daniel; Genge, Terri

2015-02-17

To determine whether national educational outcomes, course objectives, and classroom assessments for 2 therapeutics courses were aligned for curricular content and cognitive processes, and if they included higher-order thinking. Document analysis and student focus groups were used. Outcomes, objectives, and assessment tasks were matched for specific therapeutics content and cognitive processes. Anderson and Krathwohl's Taxonomy was used to define higher-order thinking. Students discussed whether assessments tested objectives and described their thinking when responding to assessments. There were 7 outcomes, 31 objectives, and 412 assessment tasks. The alignment for content and cognitive processes was not satisfactory. Twelve students participated in the focus groups. Students thought more short-answer questions than multiple choice questions matched the objectives for content and required higher-order thinking. The alignment analysis provided data that could be used to reveal and strengthen the enacted curriculum and improve student learning.

A content analysis of displayed alcohol references on a social networking web site.

PubMed

Moreno, Megan A; Briner, Leslie R; Williams, Amanda; Brockman, Libby; Walker, Leslie; Christakis, Dimitri A

2010-08-01

Exposure to alcohol use in media is associated with adolescent alcohol use. Adolescents frequently display alcohol references on Internet media, such as social networking web sites. The purpose of this study was to conduct a theoretically based content analysis of older adolescents' displayed alcohol references on a social networking web site. We evaluated 400 randomly selected public MySpace profiles of self-reported 17- to 20-year-olds from zip codes, representing urban, suburban, and rural communities in one Washington county. Content was evaluated for alcohol references, suggesting: (1) explicit versus figurative alcohol use, (2) alcohol-related motivations, associations, and consequences, including references that met CRAFFT problem drinking criteria. We compared profiles from four target zip codes for prevalence and frequency of alcohol display. Of 400 profiles, 225 (56.3%) contained 341 references to alcohol. Profile owners who displayed alcohol references were mostly male (54.2%) and white (70.7%). The most frequent reference category was explicit use (49.3%); the most commonly displayed alcohol use motivation was peer pressure (4.7%). Few references met CRAFFT problem drinking criteria (3.2%). There were no differences in prevalence or frequency of alcohol display among the four sociodemographic communities. Despite alcohol use being illegal and potentially stigmatizing in this population, explicit alcohol use is frequently referenced on adolescents' MySpace profiles across several sociodemographic communities. Motivations, associations, and consequences regarding alcohol use referenced on MySpace appear consistent with previous studies of adolescent alcohol use. These references may be a potent source of influence on adolescents, particularly given that they are created and displayed by peers. (c) 2010 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Content Analysis of Displayed Alcohol References on a Social Networking Web Site

PubMed Central

Moreno, Megan A; Briner, Leslie R; Williams, Amanda; Brockman, Libby; Walker, Leslie; Christakis, Dimitri A

2010-01-01

Purpose Exposure to alcohol use in media is associated with adolescent alcohol use. Adolescents frequently display alcohol references on Internet media such as social networking websites (SNSs). The purpose of this study was to conduct a theoretically-based content analysis of older adolescents’ displayed alcohol references on a SNS. Methods We evaluated 400 randomly selected public MySpace profiles of self-reported 17 to 20-year-olds from zip codes representing urban, suburban and rural communities in one Washington county. Content was evaluated for alcohol references suggesting: 1) explicit versus figurative alcohol use, 2) alcohol-related motivations, associations and consequences, including references that met CRAFFT problem drinking criteria. We compared profiles from four target zip codes for prevalence and frequency of alcohol display. Results Of 400 profiles, 225 profiles (56.3%) contained 341 references to alcohol. Profile owners who displayed alcohol references were mostly male (54.2%) and White (70.7%). The most frequent reference category was explicit use (49.3%), the most commonly displayed alcohol use motivation was peer pressure (4.7%). Few references met CRAFFT problem drinking criteria (3.2%). There were no differences in prevalence or frequency of alcohol display among the four sociodemographic communities. Conclusions Despite alcohol use being illegal and potentially stigmatizing in this population, explicit alcohol use is frequently referenced on adolescents’ MySpace profiles across several sociodemographic communities. Motivations, associations and consequences regarding alcohol use referenced on MySpace appear consistent with previous studies of adolescent alcohol use. These references may be a potent source of influence on adolescents, particularly given that they are created and displayed by peers. PMID:20638009

Biodegradability of tannin-containing wastewater from leather industry.

PubMed

He, Qiang; Yao, Kai; Sun, Danhong; Shi, Bi

2007-08-01

Tannins occur commonly in the wastewaters from forestry, plant medicine, paper and leather industries. The treatment of this kind of wastewaters, including settling and biodegradation, is usually difficult because tannins are highly soluble in water and would inhibit the growth of microorganisms in activated sludge. The objective of this study is to investigate biodegradability of tannin-containing wastewaters, so as to characterize the pollution properties of such wastewaters and provide a reference for their biological treatment in wastewater treatment plants. The research was typified by using the wastewater collected from vegetable tanning process in leather industry. A model was developed to describe the activated sludge process, and the biodegradation kinetics of vegetable tanning wastewater (VET wastewater) was studied. It was found that the biodegradability of tannin-containing wastewater varies heavily with the content of tannins in wastewater. The biodegradation of VET wastewater with tannin content around 4,900 mg/l occurred inefficiently due to the inhibition of tannins to the activated sludge process, and only 34.7% of biodegradation extent was reached in 14 days of incubation. The optimal biodegradability of VET wastewater was observed when its tannin content was diluted to 490 mg/l, where the COD and tannin removals reached 51.3% and 45.1% respectively in 6 days. Hence, it is suggested that a proper control of tannin content is necessary to achieve an effective biodegradation of tannin-containing wastewaters in wastewater treatment plants.

Reference Directions and Reference Objects in Spatial Memory of a Briefly Viewed Layout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mou, Weimin; Xiao, Chengli; McNamara, Timothy P.

2008-01-01

Two experiments investigated participants' spatial memory of a briefly viewed layout. Participants saw an array of five objects on a table and, after a short delay, indicated whether the target object indicated by the experimenter had been moved. Experiment 1 showed that change detection was more accurate when non-target objects were stationary…

Indexing and retrieval of multimedia objects at different levels of granularity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faudemay, Pascal; Durand, Gwenael; Seyrat, Claude; Tondre, Nicolas

1998-10-01

Intelligent access to multimedia databases for `naive user' should probably be based on queries formulation by `intelligent agents'. These agents should `understand' the semantics of the contents, learn user preferences and deliver to the user a subset of the source contents, for further navigation. The goal of such systems should be to enable `zero-command' access to the contents, while keeping the freedom of choice of the user. Such systems should interpret multimedia contents in terms of multiple audiovisual objects (from video to visual or audio object), and on actions and scenarios.

Treatment of hip/knee osteoarthritis in Dutch general practice and physical therapy practice: an observational study.

PubMed

Barten, Di-Janne J A; Swinkels, Llse C S; Dorsman, Sara A; Dekker, Joost; Veenhof, Cindy; de Bakker, Dinny H

2015-06-27

A multidisciplinary, guideline-based Stepped-Care-Strategy (SCS), has recently been developed to improve the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). To date, it is unknown to what extent current Dutch OA care is consistent with the SCS, both with respect to the content of care as well as the sequence of care. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity regarding the role of different health care providers in the performance of OA care according to the SCS. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to describe the content of primary care in patients with hip/knee OA, including the compliance to the SCS and taking into account the introduction of patient self-referral to physical therapy. Data were used from NIVEL Primary Care Database. In total, 12.118 patients with hip/knee OA who visited their GP or physical therapist were selected. Descriptive statistics were used to compare the content of care in GP-referred and self-referred patients to physical therapy. Content of care performed by GPs mostly concerned consultations, followed by NSAID prescriptions and referrals to secondary care. Both prescriptions of acetaminophen and referrals to physical therapy respectively dietary therapy were rarely mentioned. Nevertheless, still 65% of the patients in physical therapy practice were referred by their GP. Compared to GP-referred patients, self-referred patients more often presented recurrent complaints and were treated less often by activity-related exercise therapy. Education was rarely registered as singular intervention, neither in GP-referred nor in self-referred patients. In accordance with the SCS, less advanced interventions are more often applied than more advanced interventions. To optimize the adherence to the SCS, GPs could reconsider the frequent use of NSAIDs instead of analgesics and the low referral rate to allied health care. Self-referral to physical therapy partially distorts both the low referral rate in general practice and the low application rate of education as singular intervention in physical therapy practice. Further research is recommended to evaluate the effects of task-shifting in OA care, taking into account the content of the SCS.

The utilization of modified BCR three-step sequential extraction procedure for the fractionation of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil reference materials of different origins.

PubMed

Zemberyová, Mária; Barteková, Jana; Hagarová, Ingrid

2006-12-15

A modified three-step sequential extraction procedure for the fractionation of heavy metals, proposed by the Commission of the European Communities Bureau of Reference (BCR) has been applied to the Slovak reference materials of soils (soil orthic luvisols, soil rendzina and soil eutric cambisol), which represent pedologically different types of soils in Slovakia. Analyses were carried out by flame or electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS or ETAAS). The fractions extracted were: exchangeable (extraction step 1), reducible-iron/manganese oxides (extraction step 2), oxidizable-organic matter and sulfides (extraction step 3). The sum of the element contents in the three fractions plus aqua-regia extractable content of the residue was compared to the aqua-regia extractable content of the elements in the origin soils. The accuracy obtained by comparing the determined contents of the elements with certified values, using BCR CRM 701, certified for the extractable contents (mass fractions) of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in sediment following a modified BCR-three step sequential extraction procedure, was found to be satisfactory.

Sodium Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Ankle Joint in Cadaver Specimens, Volunteers, and Patients After Different Cartilage Repair Techniques at 7 T

PubMed Central

Zbýň, Štefan; Brix, Martin O.; Juras, Vladimir; Domayer, Stephan E.; Walzer, Sonja M.; Mlynarik, Vladimir; Apprich, Sebastian; Buckenmaier, Kai; Windhager, Reinhard; Trattnig, Siegfried

2015-01-01

Objectives The goal of cartilage repair techniques such as microfracture (MFX) or matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) is to produce repair tissue (RT) with sufficient glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content. Sodium magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers a direct and noninvasive evaluation of the GAG content in native cartilage and RT. In the femoral cartilage, this method was able to distinguish between RTs produced by MFX and MACT having different GAG contents. However, it needs to be clarified whether sodium MRI can be useful for evaluating RT in thin ankle cartilage. Thus, the aims of this 7-T study were (1) to validate our sodium MRI protocol in cadaver ankle samples, (2) to evaluate the sodium corrected signal intensities (cSI) in cartilage of volunteers, (3) and to compare sodium values in RT between patients after MFX and MACT treatment. Materials and Methods Five human cadaver ankle samples as well as ankles of 9 asymptomatic volunteers, 6 MFX patients and 6 MACT patients were measured in this 7-T study. Sodium values from the ankle samples were compared with histochemically evaluated GAG content. In the volunteers, sodium cSI values were calculated in the cartilages of ankle and subtalar joint. In the patients, sodium cSI in RT and reference cartilage were measured, morphological appearance of RT was evaluated using the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) scoring system, and clinical outcome before and after surgery was assessed using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score and Modified Cincinnati Knee Scale. All regions of interest were defined on morphological images and subsequently transferred to the corresponding sodium images. Analysis of variance, t tests, and Pearson correlation coefficients were evaluated. Results In the patients, significantly lower sodium cSI values were found in RT than in reference cartilage for the MFX (P = 0.007) and MACT patients (P = 0.008). Sodium cSI and MOCART scores in RT did not differ between the MFX and MACT patients (P = 0.185). No significant difference in sodium cSI was found between reference cartilage of the volunteers and the patients (P = 0.355). The patients showed significantly higher American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and Modified Cincinnati scores after treatment than they did before treatment. In the volunteers, sodium cSI was significantly higher in the tibial cartilage than in the talar cartilage of ankle joint (P = 0.002) and in the talar cartilage than in the calcaneal cartilage of subtalar joint (P < 0.001). Data from the cadaver ankle samples showed a strong linear relationship between the sodium values and the histochemically determined GAG content (r = 0.800; P < 0.001; R2 = 0.639). Conclusions This study demonstrates the feasibility of in vivo quantification of sodium cSI, which can be used for GAG content evaluation in thin cartilages of ankle and subtalar joints at 7 T. A strong correlation observed between the histochemically evaluated GAG content and the sodium values proved the sufficient sensitivity of sodium MRI to changes in the GAG content of cartilages in the ankle. Both MFX and MACT produced RT with lower sodium cSI and, thus, of lower quality compared with reference cartilage in the patients or in the volunteers. Our results suggest that MFX and MACT produce RT with similar GAG content and similar morphological appearance in patients with similar surgery outcome. Sodium MRI at 7 T allows a quantitative evaluation of RT quality in the ankle and may thus be useful in the noninvasive assessment of new cartilage repair procedures. PMID:25436618

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Pppp... - Determination of Weight Volatile Matter Content and Weight Solids Content of Reactive Adhesives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 13. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.... Record post bake sandwich weight. (D). Procedure B 1. Zero electronic balance. 2. Place two pieces of... the sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 15. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Pppp... - Determination of Weight Volatile Matter Content and Weight Solids Content of Reactive Adhesives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 13. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.... Record post bake sandwich weight. (D). Procedure B 1. Zero electronic balance. 2. Place two pieces of... the sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 15. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart Pppp... - Determination of Weight Volatile Matter Content and Weight Solids Content of Reactive Adhesives

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 13. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius for 1 hour.... Record post bake sandwich weight. (D). Procedure B 1. Zero electronic balance. 2. Place two pieces of... the sandwich. This is referred to as the 24 hr weight. (C). 15. Bake sandwich at 110 degrees Celsius...

Acquisition and replay systems for direct-to-digital holography and holovision

DOEpatents

Thomas, Clarence E.; Hanson, Gregory R.

2003-02-25

Improvements to the acquisition and replay systems for direct-to-digital holography and holovision are described. A method of recording an off-axis hologram includes: splitting a laser beam into an object beam and a reference beam; reflecting the reference beam from a reference beam mirror; reflecting the object beam from an illumination beamsplitter; passing the object beam through an objective lens; reflecting the object beam from an object; focusing the reference beam and the object beam at a focal plane of a digital recorder to form an off-axis hologram; digitally recording the off-axis hologram; and transforming the off-axis hologram in accordance with a Fourier transform to obtain a set of results. A method of writing an off-axis hologram includes: passing a laser beam through a spatial light modulator; and focusing the laser beam at a focal plane of a photorefractive crystal to impose a holographic diffraction grating pattern on the photorefractive crystal. A method of replaying an off-axis hologram includes: illuminating a photorefractive crystal having a holographic diffraction grating with a replay beam.

Research training program: Duke University and Brazilian Society of Cardiology.

PubMed

Pellanda, Lucia Campos; Cesa, Claudia Ciceri; Belli, Karlyse Claudino; David, Vinicius Frayze; Rodrigues, Clarissa Garcia; Vissoci, João Ricardo Nickenig; Bacal, Fernando; Kalil, Renato A K; Pietrobon, Ricardo

2012-12-01

Research coaching program focuses on the development of abilities and scientific reasoning. For health professionals, it may be useful to increase both the number and quality of projects and manuscripts. To evaluate the initial results and implementation methodology of the Research and Innovation Coaching Program of the Research on Research group of Duke University in the Brazilian Society of Cardiology. The program works on two bases: training and coaching. Training is done online and addresses contents on research ideas, literature search, scientific writing and statistics. After training, coaching favors the establishment of a collaboration between researchers and centers by means of a network of contacts. The present study describes the implementation and initial results in reference to the years 2011-2012. In 2011, 24 centers received training, which consisted of online meetings, study and practice of the contents addressed. In January 2012, a new format was implemented with the objective of reaching more researchers. In six months, 52 researchers were allocated. In all, 20 manuscripts were published and 49 more were written and await submission and/or publication. Additionally, five research funding proposals have been elaborated. The number of manuscripts and funding proposals achieved the objectives initially proposed. However, the main results of this type of initiative should be measured in the long term, because the consolidation of the national production of high-quality research is a virtuous cycle that feeds itself back and expands over time.

Visual Stability of Objects and Environments Viewed through Head-Mounted Displays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ellis, Stephen R.; Adelstein, Bernard D.

2015-01-01

Virtual Environments (aka Virtual Reality) is again catching the public imagination and a number of startups (e.g. Oculus) and even not-so-startup companies (e.g. Microsoft) are trying to develop display systems to capitalize on this renewed interest. All acknowledge that this time they will get it right by providing the required dynamic fidelity, visual quality, and interesting content for the concept of VR to take off and change the world in ways it failed to do so in past incarnations. Some of the surprisingly long historical background of the technology that the form of direct simulation that underlies virtual environment and augmented reality displays will be briefly reviewed. An example of a mid 1990's augmented reality display system with good dynamic performance from our lab will be used to illustrate some of the underlying phenomena and technology concerning visual stability of virtual environments and objects during movement. In conclusion some idealized performance characteristics for a reference system will be proposed. Interestingly, many systems more or less on the market now may actually meet many of these proposed technical requirements. This observation leads to the conclusion that the current success of the IT firms trying to commercialize the technology will depend on the hidden costs of using the systems as well as the development of interesting and compelling content.

Evolution of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) into a Data Mining Discovery Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzarella, Joseph M.; NED Team

2017-06-01

We review recent advances and ongoing work in evolving the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) beyond an object reference database into a data mining discovery engine. Updates to the infrastructure and data integration techniques are enabling more than a 10-fold expansion; NED will soon contain over a billion objects with their fundamental attributes fused across the spectrum via cross-identifications among the largest sky surveys (e.g., GALEX, SDSS, 2MASS, AllWISE, EMU), and over 100,000 smaller but scientifically important catalogs and journal articles. The recent discovery of super-luminous spiral galaxies exemplifies the opportunities for data mining and science discovery directly from NED's rich data synthesis. Enhancements to the user interface, including new APIs, VO protocols, and queries involving derived physical quantities, are opening new pathways for panchromatic studies of large galaxy samples. Examples are shown of graphics characterizing the content of NED, as well as initial steps in exploring the database via interactive statistical visualizations.

Creating of structure of facts for the knowledge base of an expert system for wind power plant's equipment diagnosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duer, Stanisław; Wrzesień, Paweł; Duer, Radosław

2017-10-01

This article describes rules and conditions for making a structure (a set) of facts for an expert knowledge base of the intelligent system to diagnose Wind Power Plants' equipment. Considering particular operational conditions of a technical object, that is a set of Wind Power Plant's equipment, this is a significant issue. A structural model of Wind Power Plant's equipment is developed. Based on that, a functional - diagnostic model of Wind Power Plant's equipment is elaborated. That model is a basis for determining primary elements of the object structure, as well as for interpreting a set of diagnostic signals and their reference signals. The key content of this paper is a description of rules for building of facts on the basis of developed analytical dependence. According to facts, their dependence is described by rules for transferring of a set of pieces of diagnostic information into a specific set of facts. The article consists of four chapters that concern particular issues on the subject.

Digital Archive Issues from the Perspective of an Earth Science Data Producer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barkstrom, Bruce R.

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: Introduction. A Producer Perspective on Earth Science Data. Data Producers as Members of a Scientific Community. Some Unique Characteristics of Scientific Data. Spatial and Temporal Sampling for Earth (or Space) Science Data. The Influence of the Data Production System Architecture. The Spatial and Temporal Structures Underlying Earth Science Data. Earth Science Data File (or Relation) Schemas. Data Producer Configuration Management Complexities. The Topology of Earth Science Data Inventories. Some Thoughts on the User Perspective. Science Data User Communities. Spatial and Temporal Structure Needs of Different Users. User Spatial Objects. Data Search Services. Inventory Search. Parameter (Keyword) Search. Metadata Searches. Documentation Search. Secondary Index Search. Print Technology and Hypertext. Inter-Data Collection Configuration Management Issues. An Archive View. Producer Data Ingest and Production. User Data Searching and Distribution. Subsetting and Supersetting. Semantic Requirements for Data Interchange. Tentative Conclusions. An Object Oriented View of Archive Information Evolution. Scientific Data Archival Issues. A Perspective on the Future of Digital Archives for Scientific Data. References Index for this paper.

Distance-dependent processing of pictures and words.

PubMed

Amit, Elinor; Algom, Daniel; Trope, Yaacov

2009-08-01

A series of 8 experiments investigated the association between pictorial and verbal representations and the psychological distance of the referent objects from the observer. The results showed that people better process pictures that represent proximal objects and words that represent distal objects than pictures that represent distal objects and words that represent proximal objects. These results were obtained with various psychological distance dimensions (spatial, temporal, and social), different tasks (classification and categorization), and different measures (speed of processing and selective attention). The authors argue that differences in the processing of pictures and words emanate from the physical similarity of pictures, but not words, to the referents. Consequently, perceptual analysis is commonly applied to pictures but not to words. Pictures thus impart a sense of closeness to the referent objects and are preferably used to represent such objects, whereas words do not convey proximity and are preferably used to represent distal objects in space, time, and social perspective.

An Analysis of Social Studies Teachers' Perception Levels Regarding Web Pedagogical Content Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yesiltas, Erkan

2016-01-01

Web pedagogical content knowledge generally takes pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, and Web knowledge as basis. It is a structure emerging through the interaction of these three components. Content knowledge refers to knowledge of subjects to be taught. Pedagogical knowledge involves knowledge of process, implementation, learning methods,…

Speaking English in Finnish Content-Based Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikula, Tarja

2007-01-01

CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) is a term widely used in Europe to refer to different forms of content based education, often conducted in English. Earlier research on CLIL has tended to focus on matters of language learning or content mastery rather than on details of classroom interaction. This paper investigates how English is…

The implementation of aerial object recognition algorithm based on contour descriptor in FPGA-based on-board vision system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babayan, Pavel; Smirnov, Sergey; Strotov, Valery

2017-10-01

This paper describes the aerial object recognition algorithm for on-board and stationary vision system. Suggested algorithm is intended to recognize the objects of a specific kind using the set of the reference objects defined by 3D models. The proposed algorithm based on the outer contour descriptor building. The algorithm consists of two stages: learning and recognition. Learning stage is devoted to the exploring of reference objects. Using 3D models we can build the database containing training images by rendering the 3D model from viewpoints evenly distributed on a sphere. Sphere points distribution is made by the geosphere principle. Gathered training image set is used for calculating descriptors, which will be used in the recognition stage of the algorithm. The recognition stage is focusing on estimating the similarity of the captured object and the reference objects by matching an observed image descriptor and the reference object descriptors. The experimental research was performed using a set of the models of the aircraft of the different types (airplanes, helicopters, UAVs). The proposed orientation estimation algorithm showed good accuracy in all case studies. The real-time performance of the algorithm in FPGA-based vision system was demonstrated.

Prosodic Temporal Alignment of Co-Speech Gestures to Speech Facilitates Referent Resolution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jesse, Alexandra; Johnson, Elizabeth K.

2012-01-01

Using a referent detection paradigm, we examined whether listeners can determine the object speakers are referring to by using the temporal alignment between the motion speakers impose on objects and their labeling utterances. Stimuli were created by videotaping speakers labeling a novel creature. Without being explicitly instructed to do so,…

The Role of Competition in Word Learning via Referent Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horst, Jessica S.; Scott, Emilly J.; Pollard, Jessica A.

2010-01-01

Previous research suggests that competition among the objects present during referent selection influences young children's ability to learn words in fast mapping tasks. The present study systematically explored this issue with 30-month-old children. Children first received referent selection trials with a target object and either two, three or…

Authoring of Learning Objects in Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Specht, Marcus; Kravcik, Milos

2006-01-01

Learning objects and content interchange standards provide new possibilities for e-learning. Nevertheless the content often lacks context data to find appropriate use for adaptive learning on demand and personalized learning experiences. In the Remotely Accessible Field Trips (RAFT) project mobile authoring of learning content in context has shown…

Browsing the Virtual Stacks: Making Electronic Reference Tools More Visible to Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Electronic reference resources are expanding traditional print reference collections far beyond the walls of the library building. While the library literature has seen a debate rage about the various merits and pitfalls of electronic reference sources, no one disputes they are here to stay. As more of the library content becomes available through…

The propagation and backscattering of soliton-like pulses in a chain of quartz beads and related problems. (II). Backscattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manciu, Marian; Sen, Surajit; Hurd, Alan J.

1999-12-01

We demonstrate that the propagation of solitons, soliton-like excitations and acoustic pulses discussed in the preceding article (M. Manciu, S. Sen and A.J. Hurd, Physica A, preceding article) can be used to detect buried impurities in a chain of elastic grains with Hertzian contacts. We also present preliminary data for 3D granular beds, where soliton-like objects can form and can be used to probe for buried impurities, thus suggesting that soliton-pulse spectroscopy has the potential to become a valuable tool for probing the structural properties of granular assemblies. The effects of restitution are briefly discussed. We refer to available experiments which support our contention.

Population education in the school curriculum: a comparative analysis of the American and Asian models.

PubMed

Okobiah, O S

1981-02-01

The content, strategies, and objectives of population education curriculum materials developed for use in school systems in a developed country (US) and in a developing country (Thailand) were compared. It was assumed that the objectives and strategies of population education developed in a specific country would reflect the way in which population matters were viewed by that country's policy makers and planners. In developed countries, population education is primarily an outgrowth of environmental concerns. In less developed countries population education is pursued mainly because of concerns about rapid population growth. The specific curriculum materials which were analyzed were the Population, Environmental-Ecological Education Project developed by the Missouri State Department of Education and the Population and Family Education Project developed in Bangkok. A conceptual framework for analyzing the content of the materials was developed. The framework included 5 major parameters. These parameters were 1) a description of the human population, 2) basic population concepts and processes, 3) population dynamics, 4) the causes and consequences of population change, and 5) population issues. Content analysis of the materials revealed that the content focus was similar for both of the curriculum materials. 74% of the Asian curricula and 73% of the US curricula focused on population issues and on the causes and consequences of population growth; however, the US materials emphasized environmental consequences and policies while the Asian materials emphasized family planning policies and the effects of population growth on family, community, sociocultural, and personal factors. Marked differences were revealed when the instructional strategies and course objectives of the materials were judged in reference to established educational standards of objectivity. All of the sampled instructional strategies in the US materials were judged as suitable for use in the formal school setting in that they encouraged students to analyze information and to develop their own generalizations. Most of the sampled strategies in the Asian materials were judged to be inappropriate for use in the formal school setting as they sought to indoctrinate students with specific attitudes and norms, e.g., the small family norm. The materials instructed the Asian teachers to manipulate, limit, and mold discussion sessions while the US materials encouraged teachers to develop the analytic skills of their students. The approach adopted in the Asian materials will ultimately defeat the goal of population education which is to prepare students to make informed and rational population related decisions when they reach adulthood.

Personhood, dementia policy and the Irish National Dementia Strategy.

PubMed

Hennelly, Niamh; O'Shea, Eamon

2017-01-01

Personhood and its realisation in person-centred care is part of the narrative, if not always the reality, of care for people with dementia. This paper examines how personhood is conceptualised and actualised in Ireland through a content analysis of organisational and individual submissions from stakeholders in the development of the Irish National Dementia Strategy, followed by an examination of the Strategy itself. The organisational submissions are further categorised into dementia care models. A structural analysis of the Strategy examines its principles, actions and outcomes in relation to personhood. Of the 72 organisational and individual submissions received in the formulation of the Strategy, 61% contained references to personhood and its synonyms. Of the 35 organisational submissions, 40% fit a biomedical model, 31% a social model and 29% a biopsychosocial model. The Strategy contains one direct reference to personhood and 33 to personhood synonyms. Half of these references were contained within its key principles and objectives; none were associated with priority actions or outcomes. While stakeholders value personhood and the Strategy identifies personhood as an overarching principle, clearer direction on how personhood and person-centred care can be supported in practice and through regulation is necessary in Ireland. The challenge, therefore, is to provide the information, knowledge, incentives and resources for personhood to take hold in dementia care in Ireland.

Toward the holistic, reference, and extendable atlas of the human brain, head, and neck.

PubMed

Nowinski, Wieslaw L

2015-06-01

Despite numerous efforts, a fairly complete (holistic) anatomical model of the whole, normal, adult human brain, which is required as the reference in brain studies and clinical applications, has not yet been constructed. Our ultimate objective is to build this kind of atlas from advanced in vivo imaging. This work presents the taxonomy of our currently developed brain atlases and addresses the design, content, functionality, and current results in the holistic atlas development as well as atlas usefulness and future directions. We have developed to date 35 commercial brain atlases (along with numerous research prototypes), licensed to 63 companies and institutions, and made available to medical societies, organizations, medical schools, and individuals. These atlases have been applied in education, research, and clinical applications. Hundreds of thousands of patients have been treated by using our atlases. Based on this experience, the first version of the holistic and reference atlas of the brain, head, and neck has been developed and made available. The atlas has been created from multispectral 3 and 7 Tesla and high-resolution CT in vivo scans. It is fully 3D, scalable, interactive, and highly detailed with about 3,000 labeled components. This atlas forms a foundation for the development of a multi-level molecular, cellular, anatomical, physiological, and behavioral brain atlas platform.

Linking language to the visual world: Neural correlates of comprehending verbal reference to objects through pointing and visual cues.

PubMed

Peeters, David; Snijders, Tineke M; Hagoort, Peter; Özyürek, Aslı

2017-01-27

In everyday communication speakers often refer in speech and/or gesture to objects in their immediate environment, thereby shifting their addressee's attention to an intended referent. The neurobiological infrastructure involved in the comprehension of such basic multimodal communicative acts remains unclear. In an event-related fMRI study, we presented participants with pictures of a speaker and two objects while they concurrently listened to her speech. In each picture, one of the objects was singled out, either through the speaker's index-finger pointing gesture or through a visual cue that made the object perceptually more salient in the absence of gesture. A mismatch (compared to a match) between speech and the object singled out by the speaker's pointing gesture led to enhanced activation in left IFG and bilateral pMTG, showing the importance of these areas in conceptual matching between speech and referent. Moreover, a match (compared to a mismatch) between speech and the object made salient through a visual cue led to enhanced activation in the mentalizing system, arguably reflecting an attempt to converge on a jointly attended referent in the absence of pointing. These findings shed new light on the neurobiological underpinnings of the core communicative process of comprehending a speaker's multimodal referential act and stress the power of pointing as an important natural device to link speech to objects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation and characterization of sorghum flour with increased resistant starch content

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The primary objective of this research was to develop an effective process to increase the resistant starch content of sorghum flour. A secondary objective was to investigate the role of the sorghum proteins on starch digestibility. Samples of white sorghum flour (28.9% amylose content) with differe...

Deriving video content type from HEVC bitstream semantics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nightingale, James; Wang, Qi; Grecos, Christos; Goma, Sergio R.

2014-05-01

As network service providers seek to improve customer satisfaction and retention levels, they are increasingly moving from traditional quality of service (QoS) driven delivery models to customer-centred quality of experience (QoE) delivery models. QoS models only consider metrics derived from the network however, QoE models also consider metrics derived from within the video sequence itself. Various spatial and temporal characteristics of a video sequence have been proposed, both individually and in combination, to derive methods of classifying video content either on a continuous scale or as a set of discrete classes. QoE models can be divided into three broad categories, full reference, reduced reference and no-reference models. Due to the need to have the original video available at the client for comparison, full reference metrics are of limited practical value in adaptive real-time video applications. Reduced reference metrics often require metadata to be transmitted with the bitstream, while no-reference metrics typically operate in the decompressed domain at the client side and require significant processing to extract spatial and temporal features. This paper proposes a heuristic, no-reference approach to video content classification which is specific to HEVC encoded bitstreams. The HEVC encoder already makes use of spatial characteristics to determine partitioning of coding units and temporal characteristics to determine the splitting of prediction units. We derive a function which approximates the spatio-temporal characteristics of the video sequence by using the weighted averages of the depth at which the coding unit quadtree is split and the prediction mode decision made by the encoder to estimate spatial and temporal characteristics respectively. Since the video content type of a sequence is determined by using high level information parsed from the video stream, spatio-temporal characteristics are identified without the need for full decoding and can be used in a timely manner to aid decision making in QoE oriented adaptive real time streaming.

Affective and contextual values modulate spatial frequency use in object recognition

PubMed Central

Caplette, Laurent; West, Gregory; Gomot, Marie; Gosselin, Frédéric; Wicker, Bruno

2014-01-01

Visual object recognition is of fundamental importance in our everyday interaction with the environment. Recent models of visual perception emphasize the role of top-down predictions facilitating object recognition via initial guesses that limit the number of object representations that need to be considered. Several results suggest that this rapid and efficient object processing relies on the early extraction and processing of low spatial frequencies (LSF). The present study aimed to investigate the SF content of visual object representations and its modulation by contextual and affective values of the perceived object during a picture-name verification task. Stimuli consisted of pictures of objects equalized in SF content and categorized as having low or high affective and contextual values. To access the SF content of stored visual representations of objects, SFs of each image were then randomly sampled on a trial-by-trial basis. Results reveal that intermediate SFs between 14 and 24 cycles per object (2.3–4 cycles per degree) are correlated with fast and accurate identification for all categories of objects. Moreover, there was a significant interaction between affective and contextual values over the SFs correlating with fast recognition. These results suggest that affective and contextual values of a visual object modulate the SF content of its internal representation, thus highlighting the flexibility of the visual recognition system. PMID:24904514

Report of the panel on earth rotation and reference frames, section 7

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dickey, Jean O.; Dickman, Steven R.; Eubanks, Marshall T.; Feissel, Martine; Herring, Thomas A.; Mueller, Ivan I.; Rosen, Richard D.; Schutz, Robert E.; Wahr, John M.; Wilson, Charles R.

1991-01-01

Objectives and requirements for Earth rotation and reference frame studies in the 1990s are discussed. The objectives are to observe and understand interactions of air and water with the rotational dynamics of the Earth, the effects of the Earth's crust and mantle on the dynamics and excitation of Earth rotation variations over time scales of hours to centuries, and the effects of the Earth's core on the rotational dynamics and the excitation of Earth rotation variations over time scales of a year or longer. Another objective is to establish, refine and maintain terrestrial and celestrial reference frames. Requirements include improvements in observations and analysis, improvements in celestial and terrestrial reference frames and reference frame connections, and improved observations of crustal motion and mass redistribution on the Earth.

Method and apparatus for assessing material properties of sheet-like materials

DOEpatents

Telschow, Kenneth L.; Deason, Vance A.

2002-01-01

Apparatus for producing an indication of a material property of a sheet-like material according to the present invention may comprise an excitation source for vibrating the sheet-like material to produce at least one traveling wave therein. A light source configured to produce an object wavefront and a reference wavefront directs the object wavefront toward the sheet-like material to produce a modulated object wavefront. A modulator operatively associated with the reference wavefront modulates the reference wavefront in synchronization with the traveling wave on the sheet-like material to produce a modulated reference wavefront. A sensing medium positioned to receive the modulated object wavefront and the modulated reference wavefront produces an image of the traveling wave in the sheet-like material, the image of the anti-symmetric traveling wave being related to a displacement amplitude of the anti-symmetric traveling wave over a two-dimensional area of the vibrating sheet-like material. A detector detects the image of the traveling wave in the sheet-like material.

Spatially-Heterodyned Holography

DOEpatents

Thomas, Clarence E [Knoxville, TN; Hanson, Gregory R [Clinton, TN

2006-02-21

A method of recording a spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram, including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis, includes: splitting a laser beam into a reference beam and an object beam; interacting the object beam with an object; focusing the reference beam and the object beam at a focal plane of a digital recorder to form a spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; digital recording the spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram; Fourier transforming axes of the recorded spatially low-frequency heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a heterodyne carrier frequency defined by an angle between the reference beam and the object beam; cutting off signals around an origin; and performing an inverse Fourier transform.

Determination of the carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen contents of alanine and their uncertainties using the certified reference material L-alanine (NMIJ CRM 6011-a).

PubMed

Itoh, Nobuyasu; Sato, Ayako; Yamazaki, Taichi; Numata, Masahiko; Takatsu, Akiko

2013-01-01

The carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen (CHN) contents of alanine and their uncertainties were estimated using a CHN analyzer and the certified reference material (CRM) L-alanine. The CHN contents and their uncertainties, as measured using the single-point calibration method, were 40.36 ± 0.20% for C, 7.86 ± 0.13% for H, and 15.66 ± 0.09% for N; the results obtained using the bracket calibration method were also comparable. The method described in this study is reasonable, convenient, and meets the general requirement of having uncertainties ≤ 0.4%.

Noise-free recovery of optodigital encrypted and multiplexed images.

PubMed

Henao, Rodrigo; Rueda, Edgar; Barrera, John F; Torroba, Roberto

2010-02-01

We present a method that allows storing multiple encrypted data using digital holography and a joint transform correlator architecture with a controllable angle reference wave. In this method, the information is multiplexed by using a key and a different reference wave angle for each object. In the recovering process, the use of different reference wave angles prevents noise produced by the nonrecovered objects from being superimposed on the recovered object; moreover, the position of the recovered object in the exit plane can be fully controlled. We present the theoretical analysis and the experimental results that show the potential and applicability of the method.

Advanced Image Enhancement Method for Distant Vessels and Structures in Capsule Endoscopy

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Marius

2017-01-01

This paper proposes an advanced method for contrast enhancement of capsule endoscopic images, with the main objective to obtain sufficient information about the vessels and structures in more distant (or darker) parts of capsule endoscopic images. The proposed method (PM) combines two algorithms for the enhancement of darker and brighter areas of capsule endoscopic images, respectively. The half-unit weighted-bilinear algorithm (HWB) proposed in our previous work is used to enhance darker areas according to the darker map content of its HSV's component V. Enhancement of brighter areas is achieved thanks to the novel threshold weighted-bilinear algorithm (TWB) developed to avoid overexposure and enlargement of specular highlight spots while preserving the hue, in such areas. The TWB performs enhancement operations following a gradual increment of the brightness of the brighter map content of its HSV's component V. In other words, the TWB decreases its averaged weights as the intensity content of the component V increases. Extensive experimental demonstrations were conducted, and, based on evaluation of the reference and PM enhanced images, a gastroenterologist (Ø.H.) concluded that the PM enhanced images were the best ones based on the information about the vessels, contrast in the images, and the view or visibility of the structures in more distant parts of the capsule endoscopy images. PMID:29225668

Evaluation of a new eLearning platform for distance teaching of microsurgery.

PubMed

Messaoudi, T; Bodin, F; Hidalgo Diaz, J J; Ichihara, S; Fikry, T; Lacreuse, I; Liverneaux, P; Facca, S

2015-06-01

Online learning (or eLearning) is in constant evolution in medicine. An analytical survey of the websites of eight academic societies and medical schools was carried out. These sites were evaluated against parameters that define the quality of an eLearning website, as well as the shareable content object reference model (SCORM) technical standards. All studied platforms were maintained by a webmaster and regularly updated. Only two platforms had teleconference opportunities, five had courses in PDF format, and four allowed online testing. Based on SCORM standards, only four platforms allowed direct access without a password. The content of all platforms was adaptable, interoperable and reusable. But their sustainability was difficult to assess. In parallel, we developed the first eLearning platform to be used as part of a university diploma in microsurgery in France. The platform was evaluated by students enrolled this diploma program. A satisfaction survey and platform evaluation showed that students were generally satisfied and had used the platform for microsurgery education, especially the seven students living abroad. ELearning for microsurgery allows the content to be continuously updated, makes for fewer classroom visits, provides easy remote access, and especially better training time management and cost savings in terms of travel and accommodations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Selection and Evaluation of Indexes Commonly Used to Determine Contamination with T-2 Toxin in Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei by the Grey Relational Method.

PubMed

Lu, Pengli; Wang, Yaling; Dai, Zhe; Sun, Lijun; Xu, Defeng; Liu, Ying; Ye, Riying; Gooneratne, Ravi; Bi, Siyuan

2017-09-01

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of the mycotoxin T-2 toxin in feed on muscle performance in the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, evaluate indexes of physiological variables that indicate T-2 toxin contamination in the shrimp using the grey relational method, and determine the dose-response relationships between T-2 toxin and the indexes. Of the 6 physical, 7 biochemical, and 17 nutritional indexes examined, the values of the grey relational coefficients were highest for the hepatopancreas: body weight ratio (HBR), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity, and serine (SER) content (0.83, 0.68, and 0.82, respectively). Therefore, the HBR, ALT activity, and SER content were selected as appropriate indexes for contamination of Pacific white shrimp muscle with T-2 toxin. Based on their dose-response relationship curves, mean effective doses of 1.45, 1.69, and 1.33 mg of T-2 toxin/kg of feed were obtained for the HBR, ALT activity, and SER content, respectively. These results offer technical reference points for the evaluation and control of T-2 toxin in shrimp feed. Received April 28, 2016; accepted April 9, 2017.

Fiber Concentrate from Orange (Citrus sinensis L.) Bagase: Characterization and Application as Bakery Product Ingredient

PubMed Central

Romero-Lopez, Maria R.; Osorio-Diaz, Perla; Bello-Perez, Luis A.; Tovar, Juscelino; Bernardino-Nicanor, Aurea

2011-01-01

Orange is a tropical fruit used in the juice industry, yielding important quantities of by products. The objective of this work was to obtain a dietary fiber-rich orange bagasse product (DFROBP), evaluate its chemical composition and its use in the preparation of a bakery product (muffin). Muffins containing two different levels of DFROBP were studied regarding chemical composition, in vitro starch digestibility, predicted glyceamic index and acceptability in a sensory test. DFROBP showed low fat and high dietary fiber contents. The soluble and insoluble dietary fiber fractions were balanced, which is of importance for the health beneficial effects of fiber sources. DFROBP-containing muffins showed the same rapidly digestible starch content as the reference muffin, whilst the slowly digestible starch level increased with the addition of DFROBP. However, the resistant starch content decreased when DFROBP increased in the muffin. The addition of DFROBP to muffin decreased the predicted glyceamic index, but no difference was found between the muffins prepared with the two DFROBP levels. The sensory score did not show difference between control muffin and that added with 10% of DFROBP. The addition of DFROBP to bakery products can be an alternative for people requiring low glyceamic response. PMID:21731434

Appropriateness of culinary preparations of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) varieties and relation to sensory and physicochemical properties.

PubMed

Seefeldt, Helene F; Tønning, Erik; Wiking, Lars; Thybo, Anette K

2011-02-01

Appropriateness of potatoes for culinary preparations is defined as the optimal use of a given variety for a specific culinary preparation. The aim of this study was to examine the sensory attributes and physicochemical characteristics (dry matter content, starch properties, instrumental texture) of 11 potato varieties in relation to their appropriateness for boiling, oven-frying or mashing. The reproducibility of appropriateness was studied by including the effect of two growing conditions and yearly variation combined with internal references. The potato varieties, tested by 31 evaluators in two years, showed three groupings differing in appropriateness, which could be explained by a few sensory attributes: yellowness, mealiness, creaminess and butter taste. The physicochemical data showed a large variation of 23-25% in dry matter content, amylose content and starch granule size and an extreme variation in texture hardness. High reproducibility was found in the ranking of potatoes across years and culinary preparations. Hence, if a variety was judged well appropriate for boiled potatoes, it was also judged well appropriate as mashed or oven-fried potatoes. This study showed the relevance of using sensory descriptors appropriateness in an objective manner. A few sensory descriptors can be used in consumer-labelling appropriateness of potatoes. 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

An object memory bias induced by communicative reference.

PubMed

Marno, Hanna; Davelaar, Eddy J; Csibra, Gergely

2016-01-01

In humans, a good proportion of knowledge, including knowledge about objects and object kinds, is acquired via social learning by direct communication from others. If communicative signals raise the expectation of social learning about objects, intrinsic (permanent) features that support object recognition are relevant to store into memory, while extrinsic (accidental) object properties can be ignored. We investigated this hypothesis by instructing participants to memorise shape-colour associations that constituted either an extrinsic object property (the colour of the box that contained the object, Experiment 1) or an intrinsic one (the colour of the object, Experiment 2). Compared to a non-communicative context, communicative presentation of the objects impaired participants' performance when they recalled extrinsic object properties, while their incidental memory of the intrinsic shape-colour associations was not affected. Communicative signals had no effect on performance when the task required the memorisation of intrinsic object properties. The negative effect of communicative reference on the memory of extrinsic properties was also confirmed in Experiment 3, where this property was object location. Such a memory bias suggests that referent objects in communication tend to be seen as representatives of their kind rather than as individuals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recording multiple spatially-heterodyned direct to digital holograms in one digital image

DOEpatents

Hanson, Gregory R [Clinton, TN; Bingham, Philip R [Knoxville, TN

2008-03-25

Systems and methods are described for recording multiple spatially-heterodyned direct to digital holograms in one digital image. A method includes digitally recording, at a first reference beam-object beam angle, a first spatially-heterodyned hologram including spatial heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; Fourier analyzing the recorded first spatially-heterodyned hologram by shifting a first original origin of the recorded first spatially-heterodyned hologram to sit on top of a first spatial-heterodyne carrier frequency defined by the first reference beam-object beam angle; digitally recording, at a second reference beam-object beam angle, a second spatially-heterodyned hologram including spatial heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; Fourier analyzing the recorded second spatially-heterodyned hologram by shifting a second original origin of the recorded second spatially-heterodyned hologram to sit on top of a second spatial-heterodyne carrier frequency defined by the second reference beam-object beam angle; applying a first digital filter to cut off signals around the first original origin and define a first result; performing a first inverse Fourier transform on the first result; applying a second digital filter to cut off signals around the second original origin and define a second result; and performing a second inverse Fourier transform on the second result, wherein the first reference beam-object beam angle is not equal to the second reference beam-object beam angle and a single digital image includes both the first spatially-heterodyned hologram and the second spatially-heterodyned hologram.

Extended Relation Metadata for SCORM-Based Learning Content Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Eric Jui-Lin; Horng, Gwoboa; Yu, Chia-Ssu; Chou, Ling-Ying

2010-01-01

To increase the interoperability and reusability of learning objects, Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative developed a model called Content Aggregation Model (CAM) to describe learning objects and express relationships between learning objects. However, the suggested relations defined in the CAM can only describe structure-oriented…

Quantitative in vivo CT arthrography of the human osteoarthritic knee to estimate cartilage sulphated glycosaminoglycan content: correlation with ex-vivo reference standards.

PubMed

van Tiel, J; Siebelt, M; Reijman, M; Bos, P K; Waarsing, J H; Zuurmond, A-M; Nasserinejad, K; van Osch, G J V M; Verhaar, J A N; Krestin, G P; Weinans, H; Oei, E H G

2016-06-01

Recently, computed tomography arthrography (CTa) was introduced as quantitative imaging biomarker to estimate cartilage sulphated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content in human cadaveric knees. Our aim was to assess the correlation between in vivo CTa in human osteoarthritis (OA) knees and ex vivo reference standards for sGAG and collagen content. In this prospective observational study 11 knee OA patients underwent CTa before total knee replacement (TKR). Cartilage X-ray attenuation was determined in six cartilage regions. Femoral and tibial cartilage specimens harvested during TKR were re-scanned using equilibrium partitioning of an ionic contrast agent with micro-CT (EPIC-μCT), which served as reference standard for sGAG. Next, cartilage sGAG and collagen content were determined using dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) and hydroxyproline assays. The correlation between CTa X-ray attenuation, EPIC-μCT X-ray attenuation, sGAG content and collagen content was assessed. CTa X-ray attenuation correlated well with EPIC-μCT (r = 0.76, 95% credibility interval (95%CI) 0.64 to 0.85). CTa correlated moderately with the DMMB assay (sGAG content) (r = -0.66, 95%CI -0.87 to -0.49) and to lesser extent with the hydroxyproline assay (collagen content) (r = -0.56, 95%CI -0.70 to -0.36). Outcomes of in vivo CTa in human OA knees correlate well with sGAG content. Outcomes of CTa also slightly correlate with cartilage collagen content. Since outcomes of CTa are mainly sGAG dependent and despite the fact that further validation using hyaline cartilage of other joints with different biochemical composition should be conducted, CTa may be suitable as quantitative imaging biomarker to estimate cartilage sGAG content in future clinical OA research. Copyright © 2016 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Object Orientation Affects Spatial Language Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burigo, Michele; Sacchi, Simona

2013-01-01

Typical spatial descriptions, such as "The car is in front of the house," describe the position of a located object (LO; e.g., the car) in space relative to a reference object (RO) whose location is known (e.g., the house). The orientation of the RO affects spatial language comprehension via the reference frame selection process.…

Identification and Illustration of Insecure Direct Object References and their Countermeasures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KumarShrestha, Ajay; Singh Maharjan, Pradip; Paudel, Santosh

2015-03-01

The insecure direct object reference simply represents the flaws in the system design without the full protection mechanism for the sensitive system resources or data. It basically occurs when the web application developer provides direct access to objects in accordance with the user input. So any attacker can exploit this web vulnerability and gain access to privileged information by bypassing the authorization. The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate the real effect and the identification of the insecure direct object references and then to provide the feasible preventive solutions such that the web applications do not allow direct object references to be manipulated by attackers. The experiment of the insecure direct object referencing is carried out using the insecure J2EE web application called WebGoat and its security testing is being performed using another JAVA based tool called BURP SUITE. The experimental result shows that the access control check for gaining access to privileged information is a very simple problem but at the same time its correct implementation is a tricky task. The paper finally presents some ways to overcome this web vulnerability.

Children’s level of word knowledge predicts their exclusion of familiar objects as referents of novel words

PubMed Central

Grassmann, Susanne; Schulze, Cornelia; Tomasello, Michael

2015-01-01

When children are learning a novel object label, they tend to exclude as possible referents familiar objects for which they already have a name. In the current study, we wanted to know if children would behave in this same way regardless of how well they knew the name of potential referent objects, specifically, whether they could only comprehend it or they could both comprehend and produce it. Sixty-six monolingual German-speaking 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children participated in two experimental sessions. In one session the familiar objects were chosen such that their labels were in the children’s productive vocabularies, and in the other session the familiar objects were chosen such that their labels were only in the children’s receptive vocabularies. Results indicated that children at all three ages were more likely to exclude a familiar object as the potential referent of the novel word if they could comprehend and produce its name rather than comprehend its name only. Indeed, level of word knowledge as operationalized in this way was a better predictor than was age. These results are discussed in the context of current theories of word learning by exclusion. PMID:26322005

Certification of the reference material of water content in water saturated 1-octanol by Karl Fischer coulometry, Karl Fischer volumetry and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance.

PubMed

Wang, Haifeng; Ma, Kang; Zhang, Wei; Li, Jia; Sun, Guohua; Li, Hongmei

2012-10-15

Certified reference materials (CRMs) of water content are widely used in the calibration and validation of Karl Fischer coulometry and volumetry. In this study, the water content of the water saturated 1-octanol (WSO) CRM was certified by Karl Fischer coulometry, volumetry and quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (Q NMR). The water content recovery by coulometry was 99.76% with a diaphragm-less electrode and Coulomat AG anolyte. The relative bias between the coulometry and volumetry results was 0.06%. In Q NMR, the water content of WSO is traceable to the International System (SI) of units through the purity of internal standard. The relative bias of water content in WSO between Q NMR and volumetry was 0.50%. The consistency of results for these three independent methods improves the accuracy of the certification of the RM. The certified water content of the WSO CRM was 4.76% with an expanded uncertainty of 0.09%. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Different Extraction Methods on the Extraction Rates of Five Chemical Ingredients of Swertia mussotii Franch by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Yaokun; Zhou, Lifen; Zhao, Yonghong; Liu, Yun; Liu, Xia; Zhu, Genhua; Yan, Zhihong; Liu, Zhiyong

2018-01-01

Objective: To compare the effects of three extraction methods (ultrasound, reflux and percolation) on the contents of gentiopicroside, mangiferin, swertiamain, sweroside and oleanolic acid in Swertia mussotii Franch. Method: The contents of five components were determined by UPLC-ESI/MS. In the solvent system, eluent A was 0.05% (v: v) formic acid with 1mM/L ammonium acetate aqueous solution and eluent B was acetonitrile. Chromatographic separations were achieved using an Agilent EC-C18 column (4.6×100 mm, 2.7 um) at 30 °C. The flow rate was set at 0.8mL/min. The compound ionization was adopted at negative ionization mode by electro spray ionization (ESI). The quantification was performed in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Results: The linear ranges of swertiamarin, gentiopicroside, mangiferin, sweroside and oleanolic acid are 80∼7450 ng/mL, 103∼6600 ng/mL, 100∼8000 ng/mL, 130∼8450 ng/mL, 100∼7000 ng/mL, respectively. As a result, the content of oleanolic acid was the highest extracted by ultrasonic extraction and the content of mangiferin was the highest extracted by reflux extraction. For percolation extraction, the contents of five components were between ultrasound and reflux extraction. Conclusion: For five components, there are significant differences between the three different extraction methods. The results could provide a reference for the quality control of Swertia mussotii Franch and the research and development of new drugs.

Measurement of susceptibility artifacts with histogram-based reference value on magnetic resonance images according to standard ASTM F2119.

PubMed

Heinrich, Andreas; Teichgräber, Ulf K; Güttler, Felix V

2015-12-01

The standard ASTM F2119 describes a test method for measuring the size of a susceptibility artifact based on the example of a passive implant. A pixel in an image is considered to be a part of an image artifact if the intensity is changed by at least 30% in the presence of a test object, compared to a reference image in which the test object is absent (reference value). The aim of this paper is to simplify and accelerate the test method using a histogram-based reference value. Four test objects were scanned parallel and perpendicular to the main magnetic field, and the largest susceptibility artifacts were measured using two methods of reference value determination (reference image-based and histogram-based reference value). The results between both methods were compared using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The difference between both reference values was 42.35 ± 23.66. The difference of artifact size was 0.64 ± 0.69 mm. The artifact sizes of both methods did not show significant differences; the p-value of the Mann-Whitney U-test was between 0.710 and 0.521. A standard-conform method for a rapid, objective, and reproducible evaluation of susceptibility artifacts could be implemented. The result of the histogram-based method does not significantly differ from the ASTM-conform method.

The Content of Political Spot Ads.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joslyn, Richard A.

1980-01-01

An analysis of 156 television political spot advertisements revealed that the most prevalent type of content was issue-related (although very few advertisements revealed a specific candidate issue position), followed by content focusing on candidate qualities, then by references to certain demographic groups, and finally by the transmission of…

27 CFR 4.39 - Prohibited practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...., statements of vitamin content). Statements concerning caloric, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content do not... statement disclaiming the geographical reference as a representation as to the origin of the wine. (k) Other...

27 CFR 4.39 - Prohibited practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...., statements of vitamin content). Statements concerning caloric, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content do not... statement disclaiming the geographical reference as a representation as to the origin of the wine. (k) Other...

27 CFR 4.39 - Prohibited practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...., statements of vitamin content). Statements concerning caloric, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content do not... statement disclaiming the geographical reference as a representation as to the origin of the wine. (k) Other...

27 CFR 4.39 - Prohibited practices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...., statements of vitamin content). Statements concerning caloric, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content do not... statement disclaiming the geographical reference as a representation as to the origin of the wine. (k) Other...

Mobile platform for treatment of stroke: A case study of tele-assistance.

PubMed

Torres Zenteno, Arturo Henry; Fernández, Francisco; Palomino-García, Alfredo; Moniche, Francisco; Escudero, Irene; Jiménez-Hernández, M Dolores; Caballero, Auxiliadora; Escobar-Rodriguez, Germán; Parra, Carlos

2016-09-01

This article presents the technological solution of a tele-assistance process for stroke patients in acute phase in the Seville metropolitan area. The main objective of this process is to reduce time from symptom onset to treatment of acute phase stroke patients by means of telemedicine, regarding mobility between an intensive care unit ambulance and an expert center and activating the pre-hospital care phase. The technological platform covering the process has been defined following an interoperability model based on standards and with a focus on service-oriented architecture focus. Messaging definition has been designed according to the reference model of the CEN/ISO 13606, messages content follows the structure of archetypes. An XDS-b (Cross-Enterprise Document Sharing-b) transaction messaging has been designed according to Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise profile for archetype notifications and update enquiries.This research has been performed by a multidisciplinary group. The Virgen del Rocío University Hospital acts as Reference Hospital and the Public Company for Healthcare as mobility surroundings. © The Author(s) 2015.

[Quality standards for duplex ultrasonographic assessment (duplex us) of abdominal aortic stent grafts].

PubMed

Diard, A; Becker, F; Pichot, O

2017-05-01

The quality standards of the French Society of Vascular Medicine for the ultrasound assessment of lower limb arteries in vascular medicine practice are based on the principle that these examinations have to meet two requirements: technical know-how (knowledge of devices and methodologies); medical know-how (level of examination matching the indication and purpose of the examination, interpretation and critical analysis of results). To describe an optimal level of examination adjusted to the indication or clinical hypothesis; to establish harmonious practices, methodologies, terminologies, results description and report; to provide good practice reference points and to promote a high quality process. The three levels of examination, indications and objectives for each level; the reference standard examination (level 2) and its variants according to indications; the minimal content of the exam report, the medical conclusion letter to the corresponding physician (synthesis, conclusion and management suggestions); commented glossary (anatomy, hemodynamics, signs and symptoms); technical basis; device settings. Here, we discuss duplex ultrasound for the supervision of the aortic stent grafts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Mental health and solidary economy: the family in the inclusion through work].

PubMed

Filizola, Carmen Lúcia Alves; Teixeira, Iraí Maria de Campos; Milioni, Débora Brechesi; Pavarini, Sofia Cristina Iost

2011-04-01

The Psychiatric Reform raises the issue of social inclusion through work from the perspective of Solidary Economy and family involvement. In city in the interior of São Paulo, a solidary enterprise of users of the Psychosocial Care Center was created. This qualitative study was performed with the following objective: to identify the composition and relationships of the families of members of the referred enterprise; to know the perception of the family members about inclusion of the users through work and the possibility of the family taking on a major role in this process. Interviews were performed using the genogram and ecomap of the Calgary Family Assessment Model as well as open questions about the families' perceptions, based on content analysis. Result show that most families are nuclear, headed by women. AMost users do not have and family conflicts and those who do refer having conflict with their parents. They recognize the importance of work as a space for creating meanings and new relationships and point at several forms for co-involvement to take place.

Advances in spectroscopic methods for quantifying soil carbon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reeves, James B.; McCarty, Gregory W.; Calderon, Francisco; Hively, W. Dean

2012-01-01

The current gold standard for soil carbon (C) determination is elemental C analysis using dry combustion. However, this method requires expensive consumables, is limited by the number of samples that can be processed (~100/d), and is restricted to the determination of total carbon. With increased interest in soil C sequestration, faster methods of analysis are needed, and there is growing interest in methods based on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the visible, near-infrared or mid-infrared spectral ranges. These spectral methods can decrease analytical requirements and speed sample processing, be applied to large landscape areas using remote sensing imagery, and be used to predict multiple analytes simultaneously. However, the methods require localized calibrations to establish the relationship between spectral data and reference analytical data, and also have additional, specific problems. For example, remote sensing is capable of scanning entire watersheds for soil carbon content but is limited to the surface layer of tilled soils and may require difficult and extensive field sampling to obtain proper localized calibration reference values. The objective of this chapter is to discuss the present state of spectroscopic methods for determination of soil carbon.

Portable real-time color night vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toet, Alexander; Hogervorst, Maarten A.

2008-03-01

We developed a simple and fast lookup-table based method to derive and apply natural daylight colors to multi-band night-time images. The method deploys an optimal color transformation derived from a set of samples taken from a daytime color reference image. The colors in the resulting colorized multiband night-time images closely resemble the colors in the daytime color reference image. Also, object colors remain invariant under panning operations and are independent of the scene content. Here we describe the implementation of this method in two prototype portable dual band realtime night vision systems. One system provides co-aligned visual and near-infrared bands of two image intensifiers, the other provides co-aligned images from a digital image intensifier and an uncooled longwave infrared microbolometer. The co-aligned images from both systems are further processed by a notebook computer. The color mapping is implemented as a realtime lookup table transform. The resulting colorised video streams can be displayed in realtime on head mounted displays and stored on the hard disk of the notebook computer. Preliminary field trials demonstrate the potential of these systems for applications like surveillance, navigation and target detection.

On the semantic content of grammatical gender and its impact on the representation of human referents.

PubMed

Irmen, Lisa; Kurovskaja, Julia

2010-01-01

Grammatical gender has been shown to provide natural gender information about human referents. However, due to formal and conceptual differences between masculine and feminine forms, it remains an open question whether these gender categories influence the processing of person information to the same degree. Experiment 1 compared the semantic content of masculine and feminine grammatical gender by combining masculine and feminine role names with either gender congruent or incongruent referents (e.g., Dieser Lehrer [masc.]/Diese Lehrerin [fem.] ist mein Mann/meine Frau; This teacher is my husband/my wife). Participants rated sentences in terms of correctness and customariness. In Experiment 2, in addition to ratings reading times were recorded to assess processing more directly. Both experiments were run in German. Sentences with grammatically feminine role names and gender incongruent referents were rated as less correct and less customary than those with masculine forms and incongruent referents. Combining a masculine role name with an incongruent referent slowed down reading to a greater extent than combining a feminine role name with an incongruent referent. Results thus specify the differential effects of masculine and feminine grammatical gender in denoting human referents.

Objectives and Contents of the Educational Activity Oriented Toward the Small Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walczyna, Jadwiga

This paper emphasizes the importance of educational activities for small children and discusses the issues and problems associated with choice of educational objectives and activity content. Three factors which influence the formation of educational objectives are identified: (1) tradition, (2) specific character of socio-economic conditions in…

47 CFR 51.327 - Notice of network changes: Content of notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., but is not limited to, references to technical specifications, protocols, and standards regarding transmission, signaling, routing, and facility assignment as well as references to technical standards that...

47 CFR 51.327 - Notice of network changes: Content of notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., but is not limited to, references to technical specifications, protocols, and standards regarding transmission, signaling, routing, and facility assignment as well as references to technical standards that...

47 CFR 51.327 - Notice of network changes: Content of notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., but is not limited to, references to technical specifications, protocols, and standards regarding transmission, signaling, routing, and facility assignment as well as references to technical standards that...

Keeping the Language Focus in Content-Based ESL Instruction through Proactive Curriculum-Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigelow, Martha; Ranney, Susan; Dahlman, Anne

2006-01-01

For content-based instruction (CBI) to work to its maximum potential, a concerted planning effort must be made to address language objectives, combined with effective instructional strategies that target and assess student performance in relation to those objectives. In this article, after considering various models of content-language…

Forb, Insect, and Soil Response to Burning and Mowing Wyoming Big Sagebrush in Greater Sage-Grouse Breeding Habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hess, Jennifer E.; Beck, Jeffrey L.

2014-04-01

Wyoming big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis A. t. Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle and Young) communities provide structure and forbs and insects needed by greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus) for growth and survival. We evaluated forb, insect, and soil responses at six mowed and 19 prescribed burned sites compared to 25, paired and untreated reference sites. Sites were classified by treatment type, soil type, season, and decade of treatment (sites burned during 1990-1999 and sites burned or mowed during 2000-2006). Our objective was to evaluate differences in ten habitat attributes known to influence sage-grouse nesting and brood rearing to compare responses among treatment scenarios. Contrary to desired outcomes, treating Wyoming big sagebrush through prescribed burning or mowing may not stimulate cover or increase nutrition in food forbs, or increase insect abundance or indicators of soil quality compared with reference sites. In some cases, prescribed burning showed positive results compared with mowing such as greater forb crude protein content (%), ant (Hymenoptera; no./trap), beetle (Coleoptera/no./trap), and grasshopper abundance (Orthoptera; no./sweep), and total (%) soil carbon and nitrogen, but of these attributes, only grasshopper abundance was enhanced at burned sites compared with reference sites in 2008. Mowing did not promote a statistically significant increase in sage-grouse nesting or early brood-rearing habitat attributes such as cover or nutritional quality of food forbs, or counts of ants, beetles, or grasshoppers compared with reference sites.

Forb, insect, and soil response to burning and mowing Wyoming big sagebrush in greater sage-grouse breeding habitat.

PubMed

Hess, Jennifer E; Beck, Jeffrey L

2014-04-01

Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis A. t. Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle and Young) communities provide structure and forbs and insects needed by greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) for growth and survival. We evaluated forb, insect, and soil responses at six mowed and 19 prescribed burned sites compared to 25, paired and untreated reference sites. Sites were classified by treatment type, soil type, season, and decade of treatment (sites burned during 1990-1999 and sites burned or mowed during 2000-2006). Our objective was to evaluate differences in ten habitat attributes known to influence sage-grouse nesting and brood rearing to compare responses among treatment scenarios. Contrary to desired outcomes, treating Wyoming big sagebrush through prescribed burning or mowing may not stimulate cover or increase nutrition in food forbs, or increase insect abundance or indicators of soil quality compared with reference sites. In some cases, prescribed burning showed positive results compared with mowing such as greater forb crude protein content (%), ant (Hymenoptera; no./trap), beetle (Coleoptera/no./trap), and grasshopper abundance (Orthoptera; no./sweep), and total (%) soil carbon and nitrogen, but of these attributes, only grasshopper abundance was enhanced at burned sites compared with reference sites in 2008. Mowing did not promote a statistically significant increase in sage-grouse nesting or early brood-rearing habitat attributes such as cover or nutritional quality of food forbs, or counts of ants, beetles, or grasshoppers compared with reference sites.

Cadmium induced changes in Solidago chilensis Meyen (Asteraceae) grown on organically fertilized soil with reference to mycorrhizae, metabolism, anatomy and ultrastructure.

PubMed

Pereira, Lidiane Silva; de Araújo, Romária Pereira; de Oliveira, Priscila Souza; da Silva, Leandro Dias; Alves, Patricia Alves Casaes; Fernandes, Valéria Ferreira; Gross, Eduardo

2018-04-15

Solidago chilensis Meyen (Asteraceae) is a medicinal important plant with few studies on nutrition and metabolism and none information on cadmium phytotoxicity. The objective of this study was to investigate Cd induced responses on the growth and metabolism in S. chilensis and on arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, consisting of a 5 × 4 factorial with five doses of manure (0, 3.5, 7, 14 and 21gdm -3 ) and four doses of cadmium (0, 25, 50 and 75mgdm -3 ) applied to a Dystrophic Ultisol. After 250 days of plant cultivation, biomass, nutrient content, photosynthetic rate, guaiacol peroxidase activity, mycorrhizal colonization, glomalin content, anatomical and ultrastucture were evaluated. Plants were significantly affected by interaction of manure and Cd doses with anatomical, ultrastructural, physiological and nutritional modifications. Manure applied into Cd contaminated soil significantly improved mycorrhizal colonization and glomalin production. The highest organic manure dose (21gdm -3 ) alleviated toxicity symptoms of Cd on S. chilensis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of sewage sledge and their bio-char on some soil qualities in Second year cropping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

fathi dokht, hamed; Movahedi Naeini, Seyed Alireza; Dordipor, Esmaeil; mirzanejad, moujan

2016-04-01

Bio char (BC) application as a soil amendment has achieved much interest and has been found that considerably improves soil nutrient status and crop yields on poor soils. However, information on the effect of BC on illitic soils in temperate climates is still insufficient. The primary objective in this study was to assess the influence of sewage sledge and their bio-char on the soil physical properties, nutrient status and plant production in Second year cropping. The result may also provide a reference for the use of biochars as a solution in agricultural waste management when sludge with considerable load of pathogens are involved. Soybean was already grown one year and will be repeated one more year with same treatments. The investigated soil properties included soil water content and mechanical resistance, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium- acetate-lactate (CAL)-extractable P (PCAL) and K (KCAL), C, N, and nitrogen-supplying potential (NSP). The results show soil water content, potassium uptake and plant yield were increased. Heating sludge removed all pathogens and soybean yield was increased by 7%.

Referential Choices in a Collaborative Storytelling Task: Discourse Stages and Referential Complexity Matter.

PubMed

Fossard, Marion; Achim, Amélie M; Rousier-Vercruyssen, Lucie; Gonzalez, Sylvia; Bureau, Alexandre; Champagne-Lavau, Maud

2018-01-01

During a narrative discourse, accessibility of the referents is rarely fixed once and for all. Rather, each referent varies in accessibility as the discourse unfolds, depending on the presence and prominence of the other referents. This leads the speaker to use various referential expressions to refer to the main protagonists of the story at different moments in the narrative. This study relies on a new, collaborative storytelling in sequence task designed to assess how speakers adjust their referential choices when they refer to different characters at specific discourse stages corresponding to the introduction, maintaining, or shift of the character in focus, in increasingly complex referential contexts. Referential complexity of the stories was manipulated through variations in the number of characters (1 vs. 2) and, for stories in which there were two characters, in their ambiguity in gender (different vs. same gender). Data were coded for the type of reference markers as well as the type of reference content (i.e., the extent of the information provided in the referential expression). Results showed that, beyond the expected effects of discourse stages on reference markers (more indefinite markers at the introduction stage, more pronouns at the maintaining stage, and more definite markers at the shift stage), the number of characters and their ambiguity in gender also modulated speakers' referential choices at specific discourse stages, For the maintaining stage, an effect of the number of characters was observed for the use of pronouns and of definite markers, with more pronouns when there was a single character, sometimes replaced by definite expressions when two characters were present in the story. For the shift stage, an effect of gender ambiguity was specifically noted for the reference content with more specific information provided in the referential expression when there was referential ambiguity. Reference content is an aspect of referential marking that is rarely addressed in a narrative context, yet it revealed a quite flexible referential behavior by the speakers.

Referential Choices in a Collaborative Storytelling Task: Discourse Stages and Referential Complexity Matter

PubMed Central

Fossard, Marion; Achim, Amélie M.; Rousier-Vercruyssen, Lucie; Gonzalez, Sylvia; Bureau, Alexandre; Champagne-Lavau, Maud

2018-01-01

During a narrative discourse, accessibility of the referents is rarely fixed once and for all. Rather, each referent varies in accessibility as the discourse unfolds, depending on the presence and prominence of the other referents. This leads the speaker to use various referential expressions to refer to the main protagonists of the story at different moments in the narrative. This study relies on a new, collaborative storytelling in sequence task designed to assess how speakers adjust their referential choices when they refer to different characters at specific discourse stages corresponding to the introduction, maintaining, or shift of the character in focus, in increasingly complex referential contexts. Referential complexity of the stories was manipulated through variations in the number of characters (1 vs. 2) and, for stories in which there were two characters, in their ambiguity in gender (different vs. same gender). Data were coded for the type of reference markers as well as the type of reference content (i.e., the extent of the information provided in the referential expression). Results showed that, beyond the expected effects of discourse stages on reference markers (more indefinite markers at the introduction stage, more pronouns at the maintaining stage, and more definite markers at the shift stage), the number of characters and their ambiguity in gender also modulated speakers' referential choices at specific discourse stages, For the maintaining stage, an effect of the number of characters was observed for the use of pronouns and of definite markers, with more pronouns when there was a single character, sometimes replaced by definite expressions when two characters were present in the story. For the shift stage, an effect of gender ambiguity was specifically noted for the reference content with more specific information provided in the referential expression when there was referential ambiguity. Reference content is an aspect of referential marking that is rarely addressed in a narrative context, yet it revealed a quite flexible referential behavior by the speakers. PMID:29515493

Cartilage collagen damage in hip osteoarthritis similar to that seen in knee osteoarthritis; a case-control study of relationship between collagen, glycosaminoglycan and cartilage swelling.

PubMed

Hosseininia, Shahrzad; Lindberg, Lisbeth R; Dahlberg, Leif E

2013-01-09

It remains to be shown whether OA shares molecular similarities between different joints in humans. This study provides evidence for similarities in cartilage molecular damage in osteoarthritic (OA) joints. Articular cartilage from osteoarthritic hip joints were analysed and compared to non-OA controls regarding collagen, glycosaminoglycan and water content. Femoral heads from 16 osteoarthritic (OA) and 20 reference patients were obtained from hip replacement surgery due to OA and femoral neck fracture, respectively. Cartilage histological changes were assessed by Mankin grading and denatured collagen type II immunostaining and cartilage was extracted by α-chymotrypsin. Hydroxyproline and Alcian blue binding assays were used to measure collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content, respectively. Mankin and immunohistology scores were significantly higher in hip OA samples than in reference samples. Cartilage water content was 6% higher in OA samples than in references. 2.5 times more collagen was extracted from OA than from reference samples. There was a positive association between water content and percentage of extractable collagen pool (ECP) in both groups. The amounts of collagen per wet and dry weights did not differ statistically between OA and reference cartilage. % Extractable collagen was not related to collagen per dry weight in either group. However when collagen was expressed by wet weight there was a negative correlation between % extractable and collagen in OA cartilage. The amount of GAG per wet weight was similar in both groups but the amount of GAG per dry weight was higher in OA samples compared to reference samples, which suggests a capacity for GAG biosynthesis in hip OA cartilage. Neither of the studied parameters was related to age in either group. Increased collagen extractability and water content in human hip cartilage is associated with OA pathology and can be observed at early stages of the degenerative hip OA process. Our results suggest a common degradative pathway of collagen in articular cartilage of different joints. Furthermore, the study suggests that biochemical changes precede more overt OA changes and that chondrocytes may have a capability to compensate molecular loss in the early phase of OA.

X-ray Moiré deflectometry using synthetic reference images

DOE PAGES

Stutman, Dan; Valdivia, Maria Pia; Finkenthal, Michael

2015-06-25

Moiré fringe deflectometry with grating interferometers is a technique that enables refraction-based x-ray imaging using a single exposure of an object. To obtain the refraction image, the method requires a reference fringe pattern (without the object). Our study shows that, in order to avoid artifacts, the reference pattern must be exactly matched in phase with the object fringe pattern. In experiments, however, it is difficult to produce a perfectly matched reference pattern due to unavoidable interferometer drifts. We present a simple method to obtain matched reference patterns using a phase-scan procedure to generate synthetic Moiré images. As a result, themore » method will enable deflectometric diagnostics of transient phenomena such as laser-produced plasmas and could improve the sensitivity and accuracy of medical phase-contrast imaging.« less

Modeling Requirements for Cohort and Register IT.

PubMed

Stäubert, Sebastian; Weber, Ulrike; Michalik, Claudia; Dress, Jochen; Ngouongo, Sylvie; Stausberg, Jürgen; Winter, Alfred

2016-01-01

The project KoRegIT (funded by TMF e.V.) aimed to develop a generic catalog of requirements for research networks like cohort studies and registers (KoReg). The catalog supports such kind of research networks to build up and to manage their organizational and IT infrastructure. To make transparent the complex relationships between requirements, which are described in use cases from a given text catalog. By analyzing and modeling the requirements a better understanding and optimizations of the catalog are intended. There are two subgoals: a) to investigate one cohort study and two registers and to model the current state of their IT infrastructure; b) to analyze the current state models and to find simplifications within the generic catalog. Processing the generic catalog was performed by means of text extraction, conceptualization and concept mapping. Then methods of enterprise architecture planning (EAP) are used to model the extracted information. To work on objective a) questionnaires are developed by utilizing the model. They are used for semi-structured interviews, whose results are evaluated via qualitative content analysis. Afterwards the current state was modeled. Objective b) was done by model analysis. A given generic text catalog of requirements was transferred into a model. As result of objective a) current state models of one existing cohort study and two registers are created and analyzed. An optimized model called KoReg-reference-model is the result of objective b). It is possible to use methods of EAP to model requirements. This enables a better overview of the partly connected requirements by means of visualization. The model based approach also enables the analysis and comparison of the empirical data from the current state models. Information managers could reduce the effort of planning the IT infrastructure utilizing the KoReg-reference-model. Modeling the current state and the generation of reports from the model, which could be used as requirements specification for bids, is supported, too.

Text-Content-Analysis based on the Syntactic Correlations between Ontologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tenschert, Axel; Kotsiopoulos, Ioannis; Koller, Bastian

The work presented in this chapter is concerned with the analysis of semantic knowledge structures, represented in the form of Ontologies, through which Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are enriched with new semantic data. The objective of the enrichment process is to enable SLA negotiation in a way that is much more convenient for a Service Users. For this purpose the deployment of an SLA-Management-System as well as the development of an analyzing procedure for Ontologies is required. This chapter will refer to the BREIN, the FinGrid and the LarKC projects. The analyzing procedure examines the syntactic correlations of several Ontologies whose focus lies in the field of mechanical engineering. A method of analyzing text and content is developed as part of this procedure. In order to so, we introduce a formalism as well as a method for understanding content. The analysis and methods are integrated to an SLA Management System which enables a Service User to interact with the system as a service by negotiating the user requests and including the semantic knowledge. Through negotiation between Service User and Service Provider the analysis procedure considers the user requests by extending the SLAs with semantic knowledge. Through this the economic use of an SLA-Management-System is increased by the enhancement of SLAs with semantic knowledge structures. The main focus of this chapter is the analyzing procedure, respectively the Text-Content-Analysis, which provides the mentioned semantic knowledge structures.

A stability-study of expired ampoules manufactured more than 40 years ago.

PubMed

Zilker, Markus; Sörgel, Fritz; Holzgrabe, Ulrike

2018-02-20

Pharmaceutical manufacturers have to study the stability of drug products before marketing according to ICH guideline Q1A(R2); data of those investigations aim to set expiry dates. The expiry date on the container of a remedy assures the physician and the patient a stability of the drug in its formulation i.e. within a specification of 95-105%. Only few studies show that shelf-lives of pharmaceutical products are often longer than expiration dates. The objective of the study presented here was determining the content of nine expired ampoules manufactured in the last century and identifying the impurity profile by means of HPLC-UV and HPLC-MS, respectively. The ampoules are part of the "PEAK-collection" of long expired finished pharmaceutical products at IBMP, Nürnberg-Heroldsberg, and consists among others of epinephrine (Suprarenin and Adrenalin in Oil), etilefrine (Effortil ® ), synephrine (Sympatol ® ), caffeine and procaine (Impletol), caffeine and sodium salicylate (Caffeinum Salicylicum), dipyridamole (Persantin ® ), furosemide (Lasix ® ), and metamizole (Novalgin ® ). For chromatographic investigations methods of the European Pharmacopoeia for related substances were used; for determining the content, they were validated for linearity, precision, and accuracy. The results were compared to current reference ampoules. Five out of nine ampoules were still within the specified content limits. In Suprarenin and Adrenalin in Oil, both containing epinephrine, Impletol (procaine), and Persantin ® (dipyridamole) contents were decreased to 70%, 74%, 79%, and 86%, respectively, and therefore out of specification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid identification of oil-contaminated soils using visible near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Somsubhra; Weindorf, David C; Morgan, Cristine L S; Ge, Yufeng; Galbraith, John M; Li, Bin; Kahlon, Charanjit S

2010-01-01

In the United States, petroleum extraction, refinement, and transportation present countless opportunities for spillage mishaps. A method for rapid field appraisal and mapping of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soils for environmental cleanup purposes would be useful. Visible near-infrared (VisNIR, 350-2500 nm) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) is a rapid, nondestructive, proximal-sensing technique that has proven adept at quantifying soil properties in situ. The objective of this study was to determine the prediction accuracy of VisNIR DRS in quantifying petroleum hydrocarbons in contaminated soils. Forty-six soil samples (including both contaminated and reference samples) were collected from six different parishes in Louisiana. Each soil sample was scanned using VisNIR DRS at three combinations of moisture content and pretreatment: (i) field-moist intact aggregates, (ii) air-dried intact aggregates, (iii) and air-dried ground soil (sieved through a 2-mm sieve). The VisNIR spectra of soil samples were used to predict total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content in the soil using partial least squares (PLS) regression and boosted regression tree (BRT) models. Each model was validated with 30% of the samples that were randomly selected and not used in the calibration model. The field-moist intact scan proved best for predicting TPH content with a validation r2 of 0.64 and relative percent difference (RPD) of 1.70. Because VisNIR DRS was promising for rapidly predicting soil petroleum hydrocarbon content, future research is warranted to evaluate the methodology for identifying petroleum contaminated soils.

Secure content objects

DOEpatents

Evans, William D [Cupertino, CA

2009-02-24

A secure content object protects electronic documents from unauthorized use. The secure content object includes an encrypted electronic document, a multi-key encryption table having at least one multi-key component, an encrypted header and a user interface device. The encrypted document is encrypted using a document encryption key associated with a multi-key encryption method. The encrypted header includes an encryption marker formed by a random number followed by a derivable variation of the same random number. The user interface device enables a user to input a user authorization. The user authorization is combined with each of the multi-key components in the multi-key encryption key table and used to try to decrypt the encrypted header. If the encryption marker is successfully decrypted, the electronic document may be decrypted. Multiple electronic documents or a document and annotations may be protected by the secure content object.

Integrating the Epistemic and Ontological Aspects of Content Knowledge in Science Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadouris, Nicos; Constantinou, Constantinos P.

2017-01-01

Promoting facility with content knowledge is one of the most important objectives of science teaching. Conventionally, the focus for this objective is placed on the substantive side of content knowledge (e.g. science concepts/laws), whereas its epistemic or ontological aspects (e.g. why do we construct concepts?) rarely receive explicit attention.…

Learning Objects and Learning Content Management Systems in Engineering Education: Implications of New Trends

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sjoer, Ellen; Dopper, Sofia

2006-01-01

Learning objects and learning content management systems are considered to be "the next wave in engineering education". The results of experiments with these new trends in ICT in engineering education are described in this paper. The prospects were examined and the concepts of reusability of content for teachers and for personalized…

Semantic Overlays in Educational Content Networks--The hylOs Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelhardt, Michael; Hildebrand, Arne; Lange, Dagmar; Schmidt, Thomas C.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The paper aims to introduce an educational content management system, Hypermedia Learning Objects System (hylOs), which is fully compliant to the IEEE LOM eLearning object metadata standard. Enabled through an advanced authoring toolset, hylOs allows the definition of instructional overlays of a given eLearning object mesh.…

Shifting attention in viewer- and object-based reference frames after unilateral brain injury.

PubMed

List, Alexandra; Landau, Ayelet N; Brooks, Joseph L; Flevaris, Anastasia V; Fortenbaugh, Francesca C; Esterman, Michael; Van Vleet, Thomas M; Albrecht, Alice R; Alvarez, Bryan D; Robertson, Lynn C; Schendel, Krista

2011-06-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate the respective roles that object- and viewer-based reference frames play in reorienting visual attention, and to assess their influence after unilateral brain injury. To do so, we studied 16 right hemisphere injured (RHI) and 13 left hemisphere injured (LHI) patients. We used a cueing design that manipulates the location of cues and targets relative to a display comprised of two rectangles (i.e., objects). Unlike previous studies with patients, we presented all cues at midline rather than in the left or right visual fields. Thus, in the critical conditions in which targets were presented laterally, reorienting of attention was always from a midline cue. Performance was measured for lateralized target detection as a function of viewer-based (contra- and ipsilesional sides) and object-based (requiring reorienting within or between objects) reference frames. As expected, contralesional detection was slower than ipsilesional detection for the patients. More importantly, objects influenced target detection differently in the contralesional and ipsilesional fields. Contralesionally, reorienting to a target within the cued object took longer than reorienting to a target in the same location but in the uncued object. This finding is consistent with object-based neglect. Ipsilesionally, the means were in the opposite direction. Furthermore, no significant difference was found in object-based influences between the patient groups (RHI vs. LHI). These findings are discussed in the context of reference frames used in reorienting attention for target detection. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Comparative Physicochemical Evaluation of Kharekhasak (Tribulus terrestris Linn.) Before and After Mudabbar Process

PubMed Central

Tauheed, Abdullah; Hamiduddin; Khanam, Salma; Ali, Mohd Akhtar; Zaigham, Mohammad

2017-01-01

Background and Objectives: Mudabbar/Tadbeere advia is referred to the processes performed on the drugs to detoxify, purify, and enhance therapeutic action and to reduce its doses before making the formulations in Unani medicine. It improves quality of drugs either by optimizing its desirable characteristics or minimizing the undesirable ones; it makes drug effective, safe, and specific. There is a need of comparative evaluation to understand its significance. Tadbeer of Kharekhasak (KK) khurd (Tribulus terrestris Linn. fruit) is described by Rabban Al-Tabari in Firdausul Hikmat, Akbar Arzani in Qarabadeene Qadri, etc., during the compounding of aphrodisiac formulations. Mudabbar Kharekhasak (MKK) used in Safoofe Kharekhasak mentioned in Al-Qarabadeene was evaluated in this work. Methods: Mudabbar/Tadbeer process was carried out by blending fresh KK. Juice with powdered dry KK and drying it under the sun. Juice used for process is thrice the weight of dry KK powder. The KK before and after the process was evaluated using physicochemical tests: powder characterization, extractive value, alcohol and water soluble matter, ash value, loss on drying (LOD) at 105°C, pH, high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) fingerprinting, and diosgenin content. Results: Powder characterizations were set in. Increase in successive and nonsuccessive extractive values in various solvents, water/alcohol-soluble content, total ash, acid-insoluble ash, water-soluble ash, and sulfated ash of MKK was noted in comparison with KK. Decrease in LOD at 105°C and pH of MKK powder was observed. HPTLC fingerprinting data were developed for the identification and evaluation. Quantification of diosgenin content increased to 432.1 g/g in MKK as compared to 144.5 g/g in KK, suggesting significant increase in saponin content. Conclusion: Data obtained clearly indicated changes in MKK validating the classical Mudabbar process, probably to enhance/modify the action of drug. Standards for crude and MKK were established for future reference. SUMMARY Mudabbar process on Tribulus terrestris Linn (KK) havebeen validated.Physicochemical data for Mudabbar and non mudabbar Kharekhasak (KK) powder have been set in.Diosgenin content was increased significantly in mudabbar KK. Abbreviations Used: KK: Kharekhasak, TT: Tribulus terrestris, MKK: mudabbar Kharekhasak, SK: Safoofe Kharekhasak, LOD: loss of weight on drying, HPTLC: High performance thin layer chromatography, BSS: British standard sieve, μl: microliter, SEM: Standard error of mean, nm: nanometer, g: gram. PMID:29263633

By any other name: when will preschoolers produce several labels for a referent?

PubMed

Deák, G O; Yen, L; Pettit, J

2001-10-01

Two experiments investigated why preschool children sometimes produce multiple words for a referent (i.e. polynomy), but other times seem to allow only one word. In Experiment 1, 40 three- and four-year-olds completed a modification of Deák & Maratsos' (1998) naming task. Although social demands to produce multiple words were reduced, children produced, on average, more than two words per object. Number of words produced was predicted by receptive vocabulary. Lexical insight (i.e. knowing that a word refers to function or appearance) and metalexical beliefs (i.e. that a hypothetical referent has one label, or more than one) were not preconditions of polynomy. Polynomy was independent of bias to map novel words to unfamiliar referents. In Experiment 2, 40 three- and four-year-olds learned new words for nameable objects. Children showed a correction effect, yet produced more than two words per object. Children do not have a generalized one-word-per-object bias, even during word learning. Other explanations (e.g. contextual restriction of lexical access) are discussed.

An Interlingual-based Approach to Reference Resolution

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

unclassified c . THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 They do not generally consider implicit references or...AMOUNT: C [currency] etc. where TIME, LOCATION, AGENT, THEME, human, organization, object, etc. are all ontological concepts. On some particular...AMOUNT: C [currency] etc. These instantiated representational objects are, in turn, referents in the discourse context when the next sentence is

A Reference Bibliography: A Basic Collection for an Elementary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Diego County Office of Education, CA.

This bibliography provides a selective list of books that could be purchased for a basic reference collection in an elementary (kindergarten through grade 6) library media center. The materials are arranged both by type of reference tool and by subject area. Contents include: (1) Almanacs; (2) Dictionaries; (3) Encyclopedias; (4) Customs,…

Contemporary Development of Academic Reference Librarianship in the United States: A 44-Year Content Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Hanrong; Tang, Yingqi; Knight, Carley

2010-01-01

This study analyzes job advertisements to identify the contemporary development of academic reference librarianship in the United States. Results show that more job openings, higher educational backgrounds, more duties & responsibilities, and variety of titles were assigned to academic reference librarian positions from 1966 through 2009.…

Mineralogy and instrumental neutron activation analysis of seven National Bureau of Standards and three Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas clay reference samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hosterman, John W.; Flanagan, F.J.; Bragg, Anne; Doughten, M.W.; Filby, R.H.; Grimm, Catherine; Mee, J.S.; Potts, P.J.; Rogers, N.W.

1987-01-01

The concentrations of 3 oxides and 29 elements in 7 National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and 3 Instituto de Pesquisas Techno16gicas (IPT) reference clay samples were etermined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The analytical work was designed to test the homogeneity of constituents in three new NBS reference clays, NBS-97b, NBS-98b, and NBS-679. The analyses of variance of 276 sets of data for these three standards show that the constituents are distributed homogeneously among bottles of samples for 94 percent of the sets of data. Three of the reference samples (NBS-97, NBS-97a, and NBS-97b) are flint clays; four of the samples (NBS-98, NBS-98a, NBS-98b, and IPT-32) are plastic clays, and three of the samples (NBS-679, IPT-28, and IPT-42) are miscellaneous clays (both sedimentary and residual). Seven clays are predominantly kaolinite; the other three clays contain illite and kaolinite in the approximate ratio 3:2. Seven clays contain quartz as the major nonclay mineral. The mineralogy of the flint and plastic clays from Missouri (NBS-97a and NBS-98a) differs markedly from that of the flint and plastic clays from Pennsylvania (NBS-97, NBS-97b, NBS-98, and NBS-98b). The flint clay NBS-97 has higher average chromium, hafnium, lithium, and zirconium contents than its replacement, reference sample NBS-97b. The differences between the plastic clay NBS-98 and its replacement, NBS-98b, are not as pronounced. The trace element contents of the flint and plastic clays from Missouri, NBS-97a and NBS-98a, differ significantly from those of the clays from Pennsylvania, especially the average rare earth element (REE) contents. The trace element contents of clay sample IPT-32 differ from those of the other plastic clays. IPT-28 and IPT-42 have some average trace element contents that differ not only between these two samples but also from all the other clays. IPT-28 has the highest summation of the average REE contents of the 10 samples. The uranium content of NBS-98a, 46 parts per million, is very much higher than that of the other clays. Plots of average REE contents of the flint and plastic clays, normalized to chondritic abundances, show that the clays from Missouri differ from the same types of clay from Pennsylvania. The plot of REE contents for the miscellaneous clays shows that the normalized means for the elements lanthanum through samarium for IPT-28 are much greater than those for the other miscellaneous clays. The means for the elements europium through lutetium are similar for all three miscellaneous clays.

Method for Statically Checking an Object-oriented Computer Program Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bierhoff, Kevin M. (Inventor); Aldrich, Jonathan (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module includes the step of identifying objects within a computer program module, at least one of the objects having a plurality of references thereto, possibly from multiple clients. A discipline of permissions is imposed on the objects identified within the computer program module. The permissions enable tracking, from among a discrete set of changeable states, a subset of states each object might be in. A determination is made regarding whether the imposed permissions are violated by a potential reference to any of the identified objects. The results of the determination are output to a user.

Innovative application of the moisture analyzer for determination of dry mass content of processed cheese

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kowalska, Małgorzata; Janas, Sławomir; Woźniak, Magdalena

2018-04-01

The aim of this work was the presentation of an alternative method of determination of the total dry mass content in processed cheese. The authors claim that the presented method can be used in industry's quality control laboratories for routine testing and for quick in-process control. For the test purposes both reference method of determination of dry mass in processed cheese and moisture analyzer method were used. The tests were carried out for three different kinds of processed cheese. In accordance with the reference method, the sample was placed on a layer of silica sand and dried at the temperature of 102 °C for about 4 h. The moisture analyzer test required method validation, with regard to drying temperature range and mass of the analyzed sample. Optimum drying temperature of 110 °C was determined experimentally. For Hochland cream processed cheese sample, the total dry mass content, obtained using the reference method, was 38.92%, whereas using the moisture analyzer method, it was 38.74%. An average analysis time in case of the moisture analyzer method was 9 min. For the sample of processed cheese with tomatoes, the reference method result was 40.37%, and the alternative method result was 40.67%. For the sample of cream processed cheese with garlic the reference method gave value of 36.88%, and the alternative method, of 37.02%. An average time of those determinations was 16 min. Obtained results confirmed that use of moisture analyzer is effective. Compliant values of dry mass content were obtained for both of the used methods. According to the authors, the fact that the measurement took incomparably less time for moisture analyzer method, is a key criterion of in-process control and final quality control method selection.

A method of camera calibration in the measurement process with reference mark for approaching observation space target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hua; Zeng, Luan

2017-11-01

Binocular stereoscopic vision can be used for space-based space targets near observation. In order to solve the problem that the traditional binocular vision system cannot work normally after interference, an online calibration method of binocular stereo measuring camera with self-reference is proposed. The method uses an auxiliary optical imaging device to insert the image of the standard reference object into the edge of the main optical path and image with the target on the same focal plane, which is equivalent to a standard reference in the binocular imaging optical system; When the position of the system and the imaging device parameters are disturbed, the image of the standard reference will change accordingly in the imaging plane, and the position of the standard reference object does not change. The camera's external parameters can be re-calibrated by the visual relationship of the standard reference object. The experimental results show that the maximum mean square error of the same object can be reduced from the original 72.88mm to 1.65mm when the right camera is deflected by 0.4 degrees and the left camera is high and low with 0.2° rotation. This method can realize the online calibration of binocular stereoscopic vision measurement system, which can effectively improve the anti - jamming ability of the system.

The Impact of Rock Videos and Music with Suicidal Content on Thoughts and Attitudes about Suicide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rustad, Robin A.; Small, Jacob E.; Jobes, David A.; Safer, Martin A.; Peterson, Rebecca J.

2003-01-01

Two experiments exposed college student volunteers to rock music with or without suicidal content. Music and videos with suicide content appeared to prime implicit cognitions related to suicide but did not affect variables associated with increased suicide risk. (Contains 60 references and 3 tables.) (Author/JBJ)

46 CFR 162.050-39 - Measurement of oil content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Measurement of oil content. 162.050-39 Section 162.050... Measurement of oil content. The collection and testing of all samples of oil in water from the required test... oil index-Part 2: Method Using solvent extraction and Gas Chromatography (incorporated by reference...

46 CFR 162.050-39 - Measurement of oil content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Measurement of oil content. 162.050-39 Section 162.050... Measurement of oil content. The collection and testing of all samples of oil in water from the required test... oil index-Part 2: Method Using solvent extraction and Gas Chromatography (incorporated by reference...

46 CFR 162.050-39 - Measurement of oil content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Measurement of oil content. 162.050-39 Section 162.050... Measurement of oil content. The collection and testing of all samples of oil in water from the required test... oil index-Part 2: Method Using solvent extraction and Gas Chromatography (incorporated by reference...

Mathematics Coaching Handbook: Working with Teachers to Improve Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Pia

2009-01-01

This book serves as a reference to help prepare and support effective math content coaches. It provides insight into the leadership skills necessary to mentor other teachers, establish collaborative teacher teams, influence school culture positively, and improve student achievement. Contents include: (1) Examining the Role of a Math Content Coach;…

The Influence of Content on Adult L2 Learners' Task Motivation: An Interest Theory Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poupore, Glen

2014-01-01

This study investigates the influence of content-related conditions on adult second language learners' task motivation during interactive tasks. It also aims to identify what is referred to as interestingness conditions within task content, that is, elements that are intrinsically interesting to most individuals. The investigation was conducted…

Changes in Accounting Education: Improving Principles Content for Better Understanding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, David T.; Boyd, Sanithia C.; Boyd, William L.

2000-01-01

Offers suggestions for more effective teaching of the first course of accounting in terms of time, content, and process. Suggests the use of visual aids and the concepts approach. (Contains 18 references.) (JOW)

The Intentions of Letter Writers for Applicants to a Baccalaureate-M.D. Program: Self-Report and Content Analyses of Letters of Reference.

PubMed

Mavis, Brian E; Shafer, Christine L; Magallanes, Belinda M

2006-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine how individuals providing reference letters framed the task and the specific attributes used to describe applicants. Participants were letter writers (N=106) for accepted or alternate applicants. Participants received a brief anonymous survey and a return postcard to release their past letter for content analysis. Seventy-six percent of letter writers (N=81) returned a survey. Most (64%) intended to describe applicants' positive accomplishments. According to respondents' they were most likely to write about academic accomplishments (85%), work ethic (78%), dependability (70%) and motivation (70%). Seventy-four respondents (70%) released their letter for content analysis. Academic accomplishments (77%), motivation (41%) and leadership (41%) were the attributes most frequently mentioned in the letters. Most letter writers see their role as supportive rather than evaluative. Academic accomplishments, though often mentioned, are available from other sources. Many non-cognitive attributes of most interest to admissions committees are least likely to appear in reference letters.

Analysis of space systems for the space disposal of nuclear waste follow-on study. Volume 2: Technical report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The space option for disposal of certain high-level nuclear wastes in space as a complement to mined geological repositories is studied. A brief overview of the study background, scope, objective, guidelines and assumptions, and contents is presented. The determination of the effects of variations in the waste mix on the space systems concept to allow determination of the space systems effect on total system risk benefits when used as a complement to the DOE reference mined geological repository is studied. The waste payload system, launch site, launch system, and orbit transfer system are all addressed. Rescue mission requirements are studied. The characteristics of waste forms suitable for space disposal are identified. Trajectories and performance requirements are discussed.

Overview and Status of the Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap (BCPR)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Charles, John

2004-01-01

Viewgraphs on the status and overview of the Bioastronautics Critical Path Roadmap (BCPR) are presented. The topics include: 1) BCPR Objectives; 2) BCPR and OBPR Program Management; 3) BCPR Disciplines & Cross-Cutting Areas; 4) Characteristics of BCPR Reference Missions; 5) Bioastronautics Timetable (notional); 6) BCPR Processes Risk Identification, Assessment, and Management; 7) Types of BCPR Risks; 8) Enabling Questions Categories; 9) Risk Mitigation Status; 10) Defining Levels of Accepted Risk; 11) BCPR Integration; 12) BCPR Implementation, Integration, and Validation; 13) BCPR Refinement Schedule; 14) Academy Review; 15) Rating Bioastronautics Risks; 16) Risk Rating Exercises; 17) Human Health Risk Assessment Criteria (examples); 18) A Recent Risk Rating Exercise; 19) Consensus Workshop Background; 20) Consensus Workshop Rating Analysis; 21) Consensus Workshop Selected Preliminary Recommendations; and 22) Access to BCPR Content.

ESDORA: A Data Archive Infrastructure Using Digital Object Model and Open Source Frameworks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, Biva; Pan, Jerry; Green, Jim; Palanisamy, Giriprakash; Wei, Yaxing; Lenhardt, W.; Cook, R. Bob; Wilson, B. E.; Leggott, M.

2011-12-01

There are an array of challenges associated with preserving, managing, and using contemporary scientific data. Large volume, multiple formats and data services, and the lack of a coherent mechanism for metadata/data management are some of the common issues across data centers. It is often difficult to preserve the data history and lineage information, along with other descriptive metadata, hindering the true science value for the archived data products. In this project, we use digital object abstraction architecture as the information/knowledge framework to address these challenges. We have used the following open-source frameworks: Fedora-Commons Repository, Drupal Content Management System, Islandora (Drupal Module) and Apache Solr Search Engine. The system is an active archive infrastructure for Earth Science data resources, which include ingestion, archiving, distribution, and discovery functionalities. We use an ingestion workflow to ingest the data and metadata, where many different aspects of data descriptions (including structured and non-structured metadata) are reviewed. The data and metadata are published after reviewing multiple times. They are staged during the reviewing phase. Each digital object is encoded in XML for long-term preservation of the content and relations among the digital items. The software architecture provides a flexible, modularized framework for adding pluggable user-oriented functionality. Solr is used to enable word search as well as faceted search. A home grown spatial search module is plugged in to allow user to make a spatial selection in a map view. A RDF semantic store within the Fedora-Commons Repository is used for storing information on data lineage, dissemination services, and text-based metadata. We use the semantic notion "isViewerFor" to register internally or externally referenced URLs, which are rendered within the same web browser when possible. With appropriate mapping of content into digital objects, many different data descriptions, including structured metadata, data history, auditing trails, are captured and coupled with the data content. The semantic store provides a foundation for possible further utilizations, including provide full-fledged Earth Science ontology for data interpretation or lineage tracking. Datasets from the NASA-sponsored Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC) as well as from the Synthesis Thematic Data Center (MAST-DC) are used in a testing deployment with the system. The testing deployment allows us to validate the features and values described here for the integrated system, which will be presented here. Overall, we believe that the integrated system is valid, reusable data archive software that provides digital stewardship for Earth Sciences data content, now and in the future. References: [1] Devarakonda, Ranjeet, and Harold Shanafield. "Drupal: Collaborative framework for science research." Collaboration Technologies and Systems (CTS), 2011 International Conference on. IEEE, 2011. [2] Devarakonda, Ranjeet, et al. "Semantic search integration to climate data." Collaboration Technologies and Systems (CTS), 2014 International Conference on. IEEE, 2014.

Approach for scene reconstruction from the analysis of a triplet of still images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lechat, Patrick; Le Mestre, Gwenaelle; Pele, Danielle

1997-03-01

Three-dimensional modeling of a scene from the automatic analysis of 2D image sequences is a big challenge for future interactive audiovisual services based on 3D content manipulation such as virtual vests, 3D teleconferencing and interactive television. We propose a scheme that computes 3D objects models from stereo analysis of image triplets shot by calibrated cameras. After matching the different views with a correlation based algorithm, a depth map referring to a given view is built by using a fusion criterion taking into account depth coherency, visibility constraints and correlation scores. Because luminance segmentation helps to compute accurate object borders and to detect and improve the unreliable depth values, a two steps segmentation algorithm using both depth map and graylevel image is applied to extract the objects masks. First an edge detection segments the luminance image in regions and a multimodal thresholding method selects depth classes from the depth map. Then the regions are merged and labelled with the different depth classes numbers by using a coherence test on depth values according to the rate of reliable and dominant depth values and the size of the regions. The structures of the segmented objects are obtained with a constrained Delaunay triangulation followed by a refining stage. Finally, texture mapping is performed using open inventor or VRML1.0 tools.

Method for separating video camera motion from scene motion for constrained 3D displacement measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauthier, L. R.; Jansen, M. E.; Meyer, J. R.

2014-09-01

Camera motion is a potential problem when a video camera is used to perform dynamic displacement measurements. If the scene camera moves at the wrong time, the apparent motion of the object under study can easily be confused with the real motion of the object. In some cases, it is practically impossible to prevent camera motion, as for instance, when a camera is used outdoors in windy conditions. A method to address this challenge is described that provides an objective means to measure the displacement of an object of interest in the scene, even when the camera itself is moving in an unpredictable fashion at the same time. The main idea is to synchronously measure the motion of the camera and to use those data ex post facto to subtract out the apparent motion in the scene that is caused by the camera motion. The motion of the scene camera is measured by using a reference camera that is rigidly attached to the scene camera and oriented towards a stationary reference object. For instance, this reference object may be on the ground, which is known to be stationary. It is necessary to calibrate the reference camera by simultaneously measuring the scene images and the reference images at times when it is known that the scene object is stationary and the camera is moving. These data are used to map camera movement data to apparent scene movement data in pixel space and subsequently used to remove the camera movement from the scene measurements.

River bottom sediment from the Vistula as matrix of candidate for a new reference material.

PubMed

Kiełbasa, Anna; Buszewski, Bogusław

2017-08-01

Bottom sediments are very important in aquatic ecosystems. The sediments accumulate heavy metals and compounds belonging to the group of persistent organic pollutants. The accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) was used for extraction of 16 compounds from PAH group from bottom sediment of Vistula. For the matrix of candidate of a new reference material, moisture content, particle size, loss on ignition, pH, and total organic carbon were determined. A gas chromatograph with a selective mass detector (GC/MS) was used for the final analysis. The obtained recoveries were from 86% (SD=6.9) for anthracene to 119% (SD=5.4) for dibenzo(ah)anthracene. For the candidate for a new reference material, homogeneity and analytes content were determined using a validated method. The results are a very important part of the development and certification of a new reference materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Multi-Site Cognitive Task Analysis for Biomedical Query Mediation

PubMed Central

Hruby, Gregory W.; Rasmussen, Luke V.; Hanauer, David; Patel, Vimla; Cimino, James J.; Weng, Chunhua

2016-01-01

Objective To apply cognitive task analyses of the Biomedical query mediation (BQM) processes for EHR data retrieval at multiple sites towards the development of a generic BQM process model. Materials and Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with eleven data analysts from five academic institutions and one government agency, and performed cognitive task analyses on their BQM processes. A coding schema was developed through iterative refinement and used to annotate the interview transcripts. The annotated dataset was used to reconstruct and verify each BQM process and to develop a harmonized BQM process model. A survey was conducted to evaluate the face and content validity of this harmonized model. Results The harmonized process model is hierarchical, encompassing tasks, activities, and steps. The face validity evaluation concluded the model to be representative of the BQM process. In the content validity evaluation, out of the 27 tasks for BQM, 19 meet the threshold for semi-valid, including 3 fully valid: “Identify potential index phenotype,” “If needed, request EHR database access rights,” and “Perform query and present output to medical researcher”, and 8 are invalid. Discussion We aligned the goals of the tasks within the BQM model with the five components of the reference interview. The similarity between the process of BQM and the reference interview is promising and suggests the BQM tasks are powerful for eliciting implicit information needs. Conclusions We contribute a BQM process model based on a multi-site study. This model promises to inform the standardization of the BQM process towards improved communication efficiency and accuracy. PMID:27435950

Webizing mobile augmented reality content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Sangchul; Ko, Heedong; Yoo, Byounghyun

2014-01-01

This paper presents a content structure for building mobile augmented reality (AR) applications in HTML5 to achieve a clean separation of the mobile AR content and the application logic for scaling as on the Web. We propose that the content structure contains the physical world as well as virtual assets for mobile AR applications as document object model (DOM) elements and that their behaviour and user interactions are controlled through DOM events by representing objects and places with a uniform resource identifier. Our content structure enables mobile AR applications to be seamlessly developed as normal HTML documents under the current Web eco-system.

Multimedia content description framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergman, Lawrence David (Inventor); Mohan, Rakesh (Inventor); Li, Chung-Sheng (Inventor); Smith, John Richard (Inventor); Kim, Michelle Yoonk Yung (Inventor)

2003-01-01

A framework is provided for describing multimedia content and a system in which a plurality of multimedia storage devices employing the content description methods of the present invention can interoperate. In accordance with one form of the present invention, the content description framework is a description scheme (DS) for describing streams or aggregations of multimedia objects, which may comprise audio, images, video, text, time series, and various other modalities. This description scheme can accommodate an essentially limitless number of descriptors in terms of features, semantics or metadata, and facilitate content-based search, index, and retrieval, among other capabilities, for both streamed or aggregated multimedia objects.

An evaluation of the distribution of sexual references among "Top 8" MySpace friends.

PubMed

Moreno, Megan A; Brockman, Libby; Rogers, Cara B; Christakis, Dimitri A

2010-10-01

To evaluate whether online friends of adolescents who display sexual references on a social networking site also display references. The method used was content analysis. The result of this study was that adolescents who displayed explicit sexual references were more likely to have online friends who displayed references. Thus, social networking sites present new opportunities to investigate adolescent sexual behavior. Copyright © 2010 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Liquid metal fast breeder reactors, 1972--1973

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1974-01-01

Reference to 1467 publications on liquid sodium fast breeder reactors cited in Nuclear Science Abstracts Volume 26 (1972) through Volume 27 (1973 through June) are contained in this citation to provide information on the contents of the document. References are arranged in order by the original NSA abstract number which approximately places them in chronological order. Sequence numbers appear beside each reference, and the personal author index refers to these sequence numbers. The subject index refers to the original abstract numbers. (auth)

Seasonal relationships between foliar moisture content, heat content and biochemistry of lodge pole pine and big sagebrush foliage

Treesearch

Yi Qi; Matt Jolly; Philip E. Dennison; Rachael C. Kropp

2016-01-01

Wildland fires propagate by liberating energy contained within living and senescent plant biomass. The maximum amount of energy that can be generated by burning a given plant part can be quantified and is generally referred to as its heat content (HC). Many studies have examined heat content of wildland fuels but studies examining the seasonal variation in foliar HC...

Forget the Desk Job: Current Roles and Responsibilities in Entry-Level Reference Job Advertisements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Detmering, Robert; Sproles, Claudene

2012-01-01

This study examines the evolving roles and responsibilities of entry-level academic reference positions, as stated in recent job advertisements posted on the American Library Association's JobLIST Web site and other sources. Findings from a content analysis of these advertisements indicate that current entry-level reference positions in academic…

Extending E-Book with Contextual Knowledge Recommender for Reading Support on a Web-Based Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Gwo-Dong; Wei, Fu-Hsiang; Wang, Chin-Yeh; Lee, Jih-Hsien

2007-01-01

Reading content of the Web is increasingly popular. When students read the same material, each student has a unique comprehension of the text and requires individual support from appropriate references. Most references in typical web learning systems are unorganized. Students are often required to disrupt their reading to locate references. This…

Content Knowledge of the Internet Among Public Reference Librarians at the Cleveland Heights Public Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augustine, Matthew J.

The Internet is becoming an increasingly important medium of electronic information dissemination, and thus an increasingly important library reference tool. This study examines the Internet skills of a sample group of 15 public reference librarians in the Adult Services Department at the Cleveland Heights Public Library. The Internet skills that…

Analysis and Programming for Research in the Physics of the Upper Atmosphere.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-09

magnetic north pole. Greenwich sidereal time is calculated using an algorithm for ephemeris sidereal time from Reference (3). The time is then...Procedures. .. ... ........ .... 47 1.4.3 Rapid Density Variations .. .. ...... ........ 49 1.5 References .. ... ......... ........ ...... 52 2.0...92 2.3 References .. ... ........ ........ ....... 94 4 Table of Contents (Continued) Page 3.0 Ionospheric Research Support

Particle Size, Surface Area, and Amorphous Content as Predictors of Solubility and Bioavailability for Five Commercial Sources of Ferric Orthophosphate in Ready-To-Eat Cereal.

PubMed

Dickmann, Robin S; Strasburg, Gale M; Romsos, Dale R; Wilson, Lori A; Lai, Grace H; Huang, Hsimin

2016-03-01

Ferric orthophosphate (FePO₄) has had limited use as an iron fortificant in ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal because of its variable bioavailability, the mechanism of which is poorly understood. Even though FePO₄ has desirable sensory properties as compared to other affordable iron fortificants, few published studies have well-characterized its physicochemical properties. Semi-crystalline materials such as FePO₄ have varying degrees of molecular disorder, referred to as amorphous content, which is hypothesized to be an important factor in bioavailability. The objective of this study was to systematically measure the physicochemical factors of particle size, surface area, amorphous content, and solubility underlying the variation in FePO₄ bioavailability. Five commercial FePO₄ sources and ferrous sulfate were added to individual batches of RTE cereal. The relative bioavailability value (RBV) of each iron source, determined using the AOAC Rat Hemoglobin Repletion Bioassay, ranged from 51% to 99% (p < 0.05), which is higher than typically reported. Solubility in dilute HCl accurately predicted RBV (R² = 0.93, p = 0.008). Amorphous content measured by Dynamic Vapor Sorption ranged from 1.7% to 23.8% and was a better determinant of solubility (R² = 0.91; p = 0.0002) than surface area (R² = 0.83; p = 0.002) and median particle size (R² = 0.59; p = 0.12). The results indicate that while solubility of FePO₄ is highly predictive of RBV, solubility, in turn, is strongly linked to amorphous content and surface area. This information may prove useful for the production of FePO₄ with the desired RBV.

Particle Size, Surface Area, and Amorphous Content as Predictors of Solubility and Bioavailability for Five Commercial Sources of Ferric Orthophosphate in Ready-To-Eat Cereal

PubMed Central

Dickmann, Robin S.; Strasburg, Gale M.; Romsos, Dale R.; Wilson, Lori A.; Lai, Grace H.; Huang, Hsimin

2016-01-01

Ferric orthophosphate (FePO4) has had limited use as an iron fortificant in ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal because of its variable bioavailability, the mechanism of which is poorly understood. Even though FePO4 has desirable sensory properties as compared to other affordable iron fortificants, few published studies have well-characterized its physicochemical properties. Semi-crystalline materials such as FePO4 have varying degrees of molecular disorder, referred to as amorphous content, which is hypothesized to be an important factor in bioavailability. The objective of this study was to systematically measure the physicochemical factors of particle size, surface area, amorphous content, and solubility underlying the variation in FePO4 bioavailability. Five commercial FePO4 sources and ferrous sulfate were added to individual batches of RTE cereal. The relative bioavailability value (RBV) of each iron source, determined using the AOAC Rat Hemoglobin Repletion Bioassay, ranged from 51% to 99% (p < 0.05), which is higher than typically reported. Solubility in dilute HCl accurately predicted RBV (R2 = 0.93, p = 0.008). Amorphous content measured by Dynamic Vapor Sorption ranged from 1.7% to 23.8% and was a better determinant of solubility (R2 = 0.91; p = 0.0002) than surface area (R2 = 0.83; p = 0.002) and median particle size (R2 = 0.59; p = 0.12). The results indicate that while solubility of FePO4 is highly predictive of RBV, solubility, in turn, is strongly linked to amorphous content and surface area. This information may prove useful for the production of FePO4 with the desired RBV. PMID:26938556

Planning an objective and need based curriculum: the logistics with reference to the undergraduate medical education in biochemistry.

PubMed

Ramasamy, Ramesh; Gopal, Niranjan; Srinivasan, A R; Murugaiyan, Sathish Babu

2013-03-01

The medical education is recently being transformed into several domains in order to adapt to the need and the value based academics which is required for the quality doctors who serve the community. Presently, the biochemistry curricula for the graduate students of medicine have been questioned by as many experts, because of their multiple lacunae. In this review, we would like to highlight the scenario which is related to the existing biochemistry curricula for graduate medical students, which have been followed in several medical schools and universities and we also hope to share our ideas for implementing objective and pragmatic curricula. Evidence based research, wherein the articles which are related to innovative teaching-learning tools are collected and the pros and cons which are related to the different methods analyzed in biochemistry point of view. Rapid changes in the content of the curriculum may not be required, but a gradual introduction of the novel approach and the methods of teaching biochemistry can be adopted into the curriculum.

Planning an Objective and Need Based Curriculum: The Logistics with Reference to the Undergraduate Medical Education in Biochemistry

PubMed Central

Ramasamy, Ramesh; Gopal, Niranjan; Srinivasan, A R; Murugaiyan, Sathish Babu

2013-01-01

Purpose: The medical education is recently being transformed into several domains in order to adapt to the need and the value based academics which is required for the quality doctors who serve the community. Presently, the biochemistry curricula for the graduate students of medicine have been questioned by as many experts, because of their multiple lacunae. In this review, we would like to highlight the scenario which is related to the existing biochemistry curricula for graduate medical students, which have been followed in several medical schools and universities and we also hope to share our ideas for implementing objective and pragmatic curricula. Evidence based research, wherein the articles which are related to innovative teaching-learning tools are collected and the pros and cons which are related to the different methods analyzed in biochemistry point of view. Conclusion: Rapid changes in the content of the curriculum may not be required, but a gradual introduction of the novel approach and the methods of teaching biochemistry can be adopted into the curriculum. PMID:23634431

Method for predicting dry mechanical properties from wet wood and standing trees

DOEpatents

Meglen, Robert R.; Kelley, Stephen S.

2003-08-12

A method for determining the dry mechanical strength for a green wood comprising: illuminating a surface of the wood to be determined with light between 350-2,500 nm, the wood having a green moisture content; analyzing the surface using a spectrometric method, the method generating a first spectral data, and using a multivariate analysis to predict the dry mechanical strength of green wood when dry by comparing the first spectral data with a calibration model, the calibration model comprising a second spectrometric method of spectral data obtained from a reference wood having a green moisture content, the second spectral data correlated with a known mechanical strength analytical result obtained from a reference wood when dried and having a dry moisture content.

Informal and Formal Care Infrastructure and Perceived Need for Caregiver Training for Frail U.S. Veterans referred to Home and Community-Based Services

PubMed Central

Oddone, Eugene Z.; Weinberger, Morris

2013-01-01

Objectives To describe the informal care network of U.S. veterans referred to home and community-based services (Homemaker Home Health services, H/HHA, or Home-Based Primary Care, HBPC) at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), including: quantity and types of tasks provided and desired content for caregiver training programs. Methods All primary care patients referred to H/HHA or HBPC during the preceding 3 months were sent questionnaires in May 2007. Additionally, caregivers were sent questionnaires if a patient gave permission. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were performed. Results On average, patients received 5.6 hours of VA care and 47 hours of informal care per week. 26% of patients (38% of patients with caregiver proxy respondents) and 59% of caregivers indicated the caregiver would be interested in participating in a training program by phone or on-site. Significant barriers to participation existed. The most common barriers were: transportation; no time due to caregiving or work demands; caregiver's own health limitations; and no need. Conclusions Caregiver training needs to be tailored to overcome barriers to participate. Overcoming these barriers may be possible through in-home phone or internet training outside traditional business hours, and by tailoring training to accommodate limiting health problems among caregivers. PMID:20308351

Accuracy of Blood Loss Measurement during Cesarean Delivery.

PubMed

Doctorvaladan, Sahar V; Jelks, Andrea T; Hsieh, Eric W; Thurer, Robert L; Zakowski, Mark I; Lagrew, David C

2017-04-01

Objective  This study aims to compare the accuracy of visual, quantitative gravimetric, and colorimetric methods used to determine blood loss during cesarean delivery procedures employing a hemoglobin extraction assay as the reference standard. Study Design  In 50 patients having cesarean deliveries blood loss determined by assays of hemoglobin content on surgical sponges and in suction canisters was compared with obstetricians' visual estimates, a quantitative gravimetric method, and the blood loss determined by a novel colorimetric system. Agreement between the reference assay and other measures was evaluated by the Bland-Altman method. Results  Compared with the blood loss measured by the reference assay (470 ± 296 mL), the colorimetric system (572 ± 334 mL) was more accurate than either visual estimation (928 ± 261 mL) or gravimetric measurement (822 ± 489 mL). The correlation between the assay method and the colorimetric system was more predictive (standardized coefficient = 0.951, adjusted R 2  = 0.902) than either visual estimation (standardized coefficient = 0.700, adjusted R 2  = 00.479) or the gravimetric determination (standardized coefficient = 0.564, adjusted R 2  = 0.304). Conclusion  During cesarean delivery, measuring blood loss using colorimetric image analysis is superior to visual estimation and a gravimetric method. Implementation of colorimetric analysis may enhance the ability of management protocols to improve clinical outcomes.

Object-based connectedness facilitates matching.

PubMed

Koning, Arno; van Lier, Rob

2003-10-01

In two matching tasks, participants had to match two images of object pairs. Image-based (IB) connectedness refers to connectedness between the objects in an image. Object-based (OB) connectedness refers to connectedness between the interpreted objects. In Experiment 1, a monocular depth cue (shadow) was used to distinguish different relation types between object pairs. Three relation types were created: IB/OB-connected objects, IB/OB-disconnected objects, and IB-connected/OB-disconnected objects. It was found that IB/OB-connected objects were matched faster than IB/OB-disconnected objects. Objects that were IB-connected/OB-disconnected were matched equally to IB/OB-disconnected objects. In Experiment 2, stereoscopic presentation was used. With relation types comparable to those in Experiment 1, it was again found that OB connectedness determined speed of matching, rather than IB connectedness. We conclude that matching of projections of three-dimensional objects depends more on OB connectedness than on IB connectedness.

Radiometer calibration procedure and beacon attenuation estimation reference level

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crane, Robert K.

1994-01-01

The primary objectives are to compare radiometer attenuation with beacon attenuation and to compare sky temperature estimates with calculations using simultaneous meteorological data. Secondary objectives are: (1) noise diode and reference load measurements and (2) to adjust for outside temperature and component temperature changes.

Statistical Reference Datasets

National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway

Statistical Reference Datasets (Web, free access)   The Statistical Reference Datasets is also supported by the Standard Reference Data Program. The purpose of this project is to improve the accuracy of statistical software by providing reference datasets with certified computational results that enable the objective evaluation of statistical software.

Volunteeer's Reference Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Julie; And Others

For Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP) volunteers, this reference guide provides background information about the common concerns of parents. Extensively reviewed for accuracy and content by pediatricians, psychologists, obstetricians, nurses, and childbirth educators, the guide contains a summary discussion of the postpartum infant and…

Feature-based memory-driven attentional capture: visual working memory content affects visual attention.

PubMed

Olivers, Christian N L; Meijer, Frank; Theeuwes, Jan

2006-10-01

In 7 experiments, the authors explored whether visual attention (the ability to select relevant visual information) and visual working memory (the ability to retain relevant visual information) share the same content representations. The presence of singleton distractors interfered more strongly with a visual search task when it was accompanied by an additional memory task. Singleton distractors interfered even more when they were identical or related to the object held in memory, but only when it was difficult to verbalize the memory content. Furthermore, this content-specific interaction occurred for features that were relevant to the memory task but not for irrelevant features of the same object or for once-remembered objects that could be forgotten. Finally, memory-related distractors attracted more eye movements but did not result in longer fixations. The results demonstrate memory-driven attentional capture on the basis of content-specific representations. Copyright 2006 APA.

Linkage of additional contents to moving objects and video shots in a generic media framework for interactive television

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, Alejandro; Noe, Miquel; Fernandez, Gabriel

2004-10-01

The GMF4iTV project (Generic Media Framework for Interactive Television) is an IST European project that consists of an end-to-end broadcasting platform providing interactivity on heterogeneous multimedia devices such as Set-Top-Boxes and PCs according to the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) standard from DVB. This platform allows the content providers to create enhanced audiovisual contents with a degree of interactivity at moving object level or shot change from a video. The end user is then able to interact with moving objects from the video or individual shots allowing the enjoyment of additional contents associated to them (MHP applications, HTML pages, JPEG, MPEG4 files...). This paper focus the attention to the issues related to metadata and content transmission, synchronization, signaling and bitrate allocation of the GMF4iTV project.

Active retrieval facilitates across-episode binding by modulating the content of memory

PubMed Central

Bridge, Donna J.; Voss, Joel L.

2014-01-01

The contents of memory can be updated when information from the current episode is bound with content retrieved from previous episodes. Little is known regarding factors that determine the memory content that is subject to this across-episode binding. We tested whether across-episode binding preferentially occurs for memory content that is currently “active” and identified relevant neural correlates. After studying objects at specific locations on scene backgrounds, subjects performed one of two retrieval tasks for the objects on different scene backgrounds. In an active condition, subjects recalled object locations, whereas subjects merely dragged objects to predetermined locations in a passive condition. Immediately following each object-location retrieval event, a novel face appeared on a blank screen. We hypothesized that the original episode content would be active in memory during face encoding in the active condition, but not in the passive condition (despite seeing the same content in both conditions). A ramification of the active condition would thus be preferential binding of original episode content to novel faces, with no such across-episode binding in the passive condition. Indeed, memory for faces was better when tested on the original background scenes in the active relative to passive condition, indicating that original episode content was bound with the active condition faces, whereas this occurred to a lesser extent for the passive condition faces. Likewise, early-onset negative ERP effects reflected binding of the face to the original episode content in the active but not the passive condition. In contrast, binding in the passive condition occurred only when faces were physically displayed on the original scenes during recognition testing, and a very similar early-onset negative ERP effect signaled binding in this condition. ERP correlates of binding were thus similar for across-episode and within-episode binding (and were distinct from other encoding and retrieval ERP signals in both cases), indicating that active retrieval modulated when binding occurred, not the nature of the binding process per se. These results suggest that active retrieval promotes binding of new information with contents of memory, whereas without active retrieval, these unrelated pieces of information might be bound only when they are physically paired. PMID:25173711

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy

DOEpatents

Migliori, Albert

1991-01-01

A resonant ultrasound spectroscopy method provides a unique characterization of an object for use in distinguishing similar objects having physical differences greater than a predetermined tolerance. A resonant response spectrum is obtained for a reference object by placing excitation and detection transducers at any accessible location on the object. The spectrum is analyzed to determine the number of resonant response peaks in a predetermined frequency interval. The distribution of the resonance frequencies is then characterized in a manner effective to form a unique signature of the object. In one characterization, a small frequency interval is defined and stepped though the spectrum frequency range. Subsequent objects are similarly characterized where the characterizations serve as signatures effective to distinguish objects that differ from the reference object by more than the predetermined tolerance.

USAF Damage Tolerant Design Handbook: Guidelines for the Analysis and Design of Damage Tolerant Aircraft Structures. Revision B

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-01

Effect of Block Programming and Block Size on Crack Growth Life (All Histories Have Same Cycle Content) Alloy : 2024 -T3 Aluminum (Reference 27...1 I 6 o T 1 >0 100 Crack Growth Life for l-in. Crack Growth 1000 Figure 5.1.10, Effect of Humidity on Fatigue Crack Propagation...Growth Life (All Histories Have Same Cycle Content) Alloy : 2024 -T3 Aluminum (Reference 27). 5.2.6 Yield Zone Due to Overload (r T), Current Crack

Advertising content in physical activity print materials.

PubMed

Cardinal, Bradley J

2002-01-01

Copies of 80 sets of print materials available free of charge to the general public were analyzed to determine the relationship between the developer and advertising-related material. Almost all of the materials had some form of advertising content. Materials from commercial product vendors were most likely to have product logos, references to specific brands, and had the greatest number of logos, and the greatest number of references to specific brands. They were the second most likely to have advertising slogans, and had the second greatest number of advertising slogans.

Rapid fast-mapping abilities in 2-year-olds.

PubMed

Spiegel, Chad; Halberda, Justin

2011-05-01

Learning a new word consists of two primary tasks that have often been conflated into a single process: referent selection, in which a child must determine the correct referent of a novel label, and referent retention, which is the ability to store this newly formed label-object mapping in memory for later use. In addition, children must be capable of performing these tasks rapidly and repeatedly as they are frequently exposed to novel words during the course of natural conversation. Here we used a preferential pointing task to investigate 2-year-olds' (N=72) ability to infer the referent of a novel noun from a single ambiguous exposure and their ability to retain this mapping over time. Children were asked to identify the referent of a novel label on six critical trials distributed throughout the course of a 10-min study involving many familiar and novel objects. On these critical trials, images of a known object and a novel object (e.g., a ball and a nameless artifact constructed in the laboratory) appeared on two computer screens and a voice asked children to "point at the _____ [e.g., glark]." Following label onset, children were allowed only 3s during which to infer the correct referent, point at it, and potentially store this new word-object mapping. In a final posttest trial, all previously labeled novel objects appeared and children were asked to point to one of them (e.g., "Can you find the glark?"). To succeed, children needed to have initially mapped the novel labels correctly and retained these mappings over the course of the study. Despite the difficult demands of the current task, children successfully identified the target object on the retention trial. We conclude that 2-year-olds are able to fast map novel nouns during a brief single exposure under ambiguous labeling conditions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Cultural Content of Business Spanish Texts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grosse, Christine Uber; Uber, David

1992-01-01

Eight business Spanish texts were examined to learn about the cultural content of the business Spanish curriculum. Questions of cultural topics and themes, presentation of cultural information, activities and techniques, and use of authentic materials were considered. (16 references) (LB)

Publications - GMC 291 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

DGGS GMC 291 Publication Details Title: Geologic log of and measured air-dry gas content desorption Reference State of Alaska, and Seamount, D.T., 2000, Geologic log of and measured air-dry gas content

Endogenous versus exogenous generic reference pricing for pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Antoñanzas, F; Juárez-Castelló, C A; Rodríguez-Ibeas, R

2017-12-01

In this paper we carry out a vertical differentiation duopoly model applied to pharmaceutical markets to analyze how endogenous and exogenous generic reference pricing influence competition between generic and branded drugs producers. Unlike the literature, we characterize for the exogenous case the equilibrium prices for all feasible relevant reference prices. Competition is enhanced after the introduction of a reference pricing system. We also compare both reference pricing systems on welfare grounds, assuming two different objective functions for health authorities: (i) standard social welfare and (ii) gross consumer surplus net of total pharmaceutical expenditures. We show that regardless of the objective function, health authorities will never choose endogenous reference pricing. When health authorities are paternalistic, the exogenous reference price that maximizes standard social welfare is such that the price of the generic drug is the reference price while the price of the branded drug is higher than the reference price. When health authorities are not paternalistic, the optimal exogenous reference price is such that the price of the branded drug is the reference price while the price of the generic drug is lower than the reference price.

MPEG-4 AVC saliency map computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammar, M.; Mitrea, M.; Hasnaoui, M.

2014-02-01

A saliency map provides information about the regions inside some visual content (image, video, ...) at which a human observer will spontaneously look at. For saliency maps computation, current research studies consider the uncompressed (pixel) representation of the visual content and extract various types of information (intensity, color, orientation, motion energy) which are then fusioned. This paper goes one step further and computes the saliency map directly from the MPEG-4 AVC stream syntax elements with minimal decoding operations. In this respect, an a-priori in-depth study on the MPEG-4 AVC syntax elements is first carried out so as to identify the entities appealing the visual attention. Secondly, the MPEG-4 AVC reference software is completed with software tools allowing the parsing of these elements and their subsequent usage in objective benchmarking experiments. This way, it is demonstrated that an MPEG-4 saliency map can be given by a combination of static saliency and motion maps. This saliency map is experimentally validated under a robust watermarking framework. When included in an m-QIM (multiple symbols Quantization Index Modulation) insertion method, PSNR average gains of 2.43 dB, 2.15dB, and 2.37 dB are obtained for data payload of 10, 20 and 30 watermarked blocks per I frame, i.e. about 30, 60, and 90 bits/second, respectively. These quantitative results are obtained out of processing 2 hours of heterogeneous video content.

A case for closed-loop recycling of post-consumer PET for automotive foams.

PubMed

Bedell, Matthew; Brown, Matthew; Kiziltas, Alper; Mielewski, Deborah; Mukerjee, Shakti; Tabor, Rick

2018-01-01

Striving to utilize sustainable material sources, polyester polyols made via glycolysis and esterification of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) scrap were used to synthesize flexible polyurethane (PU) foams typically found in automotive interior applications. The objective of this endeavor was to ascertain if a closed-loop model could be established with the discarded PET feedstock. In five separate formulations, up to 50% of the total polyol content (traditionally derived from petroleum-based feedstock) was replaced with the afore-mentioned sustainable recycled polyols. These foams underwent mechanical, thermal, morphological, and physical characterization testing to determine feasibility for use in an automotive interior. Young's modulus, tensile stress at maximum load, tear resistance, and compression modulus all increased by combined averages of 121%, 67%, 32%, and 150% over the control petroleum-based formulation, respectively, in foams possessing 50% rPET polyol content. Thermal stability also increased with sustainable polyol content; thermogravimetric analysis showed that 50% mass loss temperature increased by an average of 20 °C in foams containing 30% recycled polyol. Properties of density and SAG factor remained within 5% of the control petroleum-based reference foams. After comparing these findings to traditional polyols, a compelling argument can be made for the use of post-consumer automotive and industrial feedstocks in developing high-performing interior automotive PU foams. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resolution enhancement in coherent x-ray diffraction imaging by overcoming instrumental noise.

PubMed

Kim, Chan; Kim, Yoonhee; Song, Changyong; Kim, Sang Soo; Kim, Sunam; Kang, Hyon Chol; Hwu, Yeukuang; Tsuei, Ku-Ding; Liang, Keng San; Noh, Do Young

2014-11-17

We report that reference objects, strong scatterers neighboring weak phase objects, enhance the phase retrieval and spatial resolution in coherent x-ray diffraction imaging (CDI). A CDI experiment with Au nano-particles exhibited that the reference objects amplified the signal-to-noise ratio in the diffraction intensity at large diffraction angles, which significantly enhanced the image resolution. The interference between the diffracted x-ray from reference objects and a specimen also improved the retrieval of the phase of the diffraction signal. The enhancement was applied to image NiO nano-particles and a mitochondrion and confirmed in a simulation with a bacteria phantom. We expect that the proposed method will be of great help in imaging weakly scattering soft matters using coherent x-ray sources including x-ray free electron lasers.

Whisking mechanics and active sensing.

PubMed

Bush, Nicholas E; Solla, Sara A; Hartmann, Mitra Jz

2016-10-01

We describe recent advances in quantifying the three-dimensional (3D) geometry and mechanics of whisking. Careful delineation of relevant 3D reference frames reveals important geometric and mechanical distinctions between the localization problem ('where' is an object) and the feature extraction problem ('what' is an object). Head-centered and resting-whisker reference frames lend themselves to quantifying temporal and kinematic cues used for object localization. The whisking-centered reference frame lends itself to quantifying the contact mechanics likely associated with feature extraction. We offer the 'windowed sampling' hypothesis for active sensing: that rats can estimate an object's spatial features by integrating mechanical information across whiskers during brief (25-60ms) windows of 'haptic enclosure' with the whiskers, a motion that resembles a hand grasp. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Food references and marketing to children in Australian magazines: a content analysis.

PubMed

Kelly, Bridget; Chapman, Kathy

2007-12-01

The aim of this study was to assess the content and extent of food references and marketing within popular children's magazines in Australia. Sixteen popular Australian children's magazines were selected, as determined by readership and circulation data. Back copies of each magazine were purchased for publications released between January and December 2006 (n = 76). Each magazine was assessed for food references on the basis of 23 food categories and 7 food-referencing types and as either branded or non-branded food references. There were a high number of overall food references within the children's magazines, with the majority of these being for unhealthy food products (63.7% unhealthy versus 36.3% healthy foods, p < 0.001). The food groups with the highest proportion of branded food references, and therefore paid marketing, were ice cream and iced confection (85.6% branded references), fast food restaurant meals (83.4%), high-sugar drinks (78.9%) and snack foods (73.4%). Of all magazines, those targeting males and children aged 7-12 years had the highest proportion of unhealthy food references (78.1 and 69.8% unhealthy food references, respectively). Food references within children's magazines are common and skewed towards unhealthy foods. Children's high magazine readership rates and a lack of advertising and product placement regulations for magazines in Australia make this media an attractive target for food marketers. The timely establishment of food marketing regulations within magazines are recommended to prevent further expansion of food marketing in this area.

Object-based modeling, identification, and labeling of medical images for content-based retrieval by querying on intervals of attribute values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thies, Christian; Ostwald, Tamara; Fischer, Benedikt; Lehmann, Thomas M.

2005-04-01

The classification and measuring of objects in medical images is important in radiological diagnostics and education, especially when using large databases as knowledge resources, for instance a picture archiving and communication system (PACS). The main challenge is the modeling of medical knowledge and the diagnostic context to label the sought objects. This task is referred to as closing the semantic gap between low-level pixel information and high level application knowledge. This work describes an approach which allows labeling of a-priori unknown objects in an intuitive way. Our approach consists of four main components. At first an image is completely decomposed into all visually relevant partitions on different scales. This provides a hierarchical organized set of regions. Afterwards, for each of the obtained regions a set of descriptive features is computed. In this data structure objects are represented by regions with characteristic attributes. The actual object identification is the formulation of a query. It consists of attributes on which intervals are defined describing those regions that correspond to the sought objects. Since the objects are a-priori unknown, they are described by a medical expert by means of an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI). This GUI is the fourth component. It enables complex object definitions by browsing the data structure and examinating the attributes to formulate the query. The query is executed and if the sought objects have not been identified its parameterization is refined. By using this heuristic approach, object models for hand radiographs have been developed to extract bones from a single hand in different anatomical contexts. This demonstrates the applicability of the labeling concept. By using a rule for metacarpal bones on a series of 105 images, this type of bone could be retrieved with a precision of 0.53 % and a recall of 0.6%.

Research notes : evaluation of the performance of reference electrodes embedded in reinforced concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-07-01

The objectives of this work were to examine placement strategies for reference electrodes and to evaluate the suitability of graphite reference electrodes as imbedded reference electrodes in reinforced concrete structures that are cathodically protec...

Milk fat threshold determination and the effect of milk fat content on consumer preference for fluid milk.

PubMed

McCarthy, K S; Lopetcharat, K; Drake, M A

2017-03-01

Milk consumption in the United States has been in decline since the 1960s. Milk fat plays a critical role in sensory properties of fluid milk. The first objective of this study was to determine the change in percent milk fat needed to produce a detectable or just noticeable difference (JND) to consumers in skim, 1%, 2%, and whole milks. The second objective was to evaluate how milk fat affected consumer preferences for fluid milk. Threshold tests were conducted to determine the JND for each reference milk (skim, 1%, 2%, and whole milk), with a minimum of 60 consumers for each JND. The JND was determined for milks by visual appearance without tasting and tasting without visual cues. Serving temperature effect (4, 8, or 15°C) on tasting JND values were also investigated. The established JND values were then used to conduct ascending forced-choice preference tests with milks. Consumers were assigned to 3 groups based on self-reported milk consumption: skim milk drinkers (n = 59), low-fat milk drinkers (consumed 1% or 2% milk, n = 64), and whole milk drinkers (n = 49). Follow-up interviews were conducted where consumers were asked to taste and explain their preference between milks that showed the most polarization within each consumer segment. Descriptive sensory analysis was performed on the milks used in the follow-up interviews to quantify sensory differences. Visual-only JND were lower than tasting-only JND values. Preference testing revealed 3 distinct preference curves among the consumer segments. Skim milk drinkers preferred skim milk and up to 2% milk fat, but disliked milk higher in fat due to it being "too thick," "too heavy," "flavor and texture like cream," "too fatty," and "looks like half and half." Low-fat milk drinkers preferred 2% milk up to 3.25% (whole milk), but then disliked higher milk fat content. Whole milk drinkers preferred whichever milk was higher in milk fat regardless of how high the fat content was, distinct from skim and low-fat milk drinkers. The findings of this study provide insights on sensory characteristics of milk fat in fluid milk and consumer sensory perception of these properties. These results also provide insights on how the industry might adjust milk fat references for adjusting milk sensory properties to increase milk preference and remain within the standards of identity of milk. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Reference Encounter Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Marilyn Domas

1983-01-01

Develops model of the reference interview which explicitly incorporates human information processing, particularly schema ideas presented by Marvin Minsky and other theorists in cognitive processing and artificial intelligence. Questions are raised concerning use of content analysis of transcribed verbal protocols as methodology for studying…

Four reference soil and rock samples for measuring element availability in the Western Energy Regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crock, J.G.; Severson, R.C.

1980-01-01

Attaining acceptable precision in extractable element determinations is more difficult than in total element determinations. In total element determinations, dissolution of the sample is qualitatively checked by the clarity of the solution and the absence of residues. These criteria cannot be used for extracts. Possibilities for error are introduced in virtually every step in soil extractions. Therefore, the use of reference materials whose homogeneity and element content are reasonably well known is essential for determination of extractable elements. In this report, estimates of homogeneity and element content are presented for four reference samples. Bulk samples of about 100 kilograms of each sample were ground to pass an 80-mesh sieve. The samples were homogenized and split using a Jones-type splitter. Fourteen splits of each reference sample were analyzed for total content of Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Zn; DTPA-extractable Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn; exchangeable Ca, Mg, K, and Na; cation exchange capacity water-saturation-extractable Ca, Mg, K, Na, C1, and SO4; soil pH; and hot-water-extractable boron. Error measured between splits was small, indicating that the samples were homogenized adequately and that the laboratory procedure provided reproducible results.

Determination of shell content by activation analysis : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-08-01

The objective of this study is to determine if neutron activation analysis technique, developed under Research Project 70-1ST, can be used to determine the shell content of a sand-shell mixture. : In order to accomplish this objective, samples of san...

Flow cytometry reliability analysis and variations in sugarcane DNA content.

PubMed

Oliveira, A C L; Pasqual, M; Bruzi, A T; Pio, L A S; Mendonça, P M S; Soares, J D R

2015-06-29

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of flow cytometry analysis and the use of this technique to differentiate species and varieties of sugarcane (Saccharum spp) according to their relative DNA content. We analyzed 16 varieties and three species belonging to this genus. To determine a reliable protocol, we evaluated three extraction buffers (LB01, Marie, and Tris·MgCl2), the presence and absence of RNase, six doses of propidium iodide (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 μg), four periods of exposure to propidium iodide (0, 5, 10, and 20 min), and seven external reference standards (peas, beans, corn, radish, rye, soybean, and tomato) with reference to the coefficient of variation and the DNA content. For statistical analyses, we used the programs Sisvar(®) and Xlstat(®). We recommend using the Marie extraction buffer and at least 15 μg propidium iodide. The samples should not be analyzed immediately after the addition of propidium iodide. The use of RNase is optional, and tomato should be used as an external reference standard. The results show that sugarcane has a variable genome size (8.42 to 12.12 pg/2C) and the individuals analyzed could be separated into four groups according to their DNA content with relative equality in the genome sizes of the commercial varieties.

Digital Collections, Digital Libraries & the Digitization of Cultural Heritage Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Clifford

2002-01-01

Discusses digital collections and digital libraries. Topics include broadband availability; digital rights protection; content, both non-profit and commercial; digitization of cultural content; sustainability; metadata harvesting protocol; infrastructure; authorship; linking multiple resources; data mining; digitization of reference works;…

Development of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) fruit and extract standard reference materials.

PubMed

Schantz, Michele M; Bedner, Mary; Long, Stephen E; Molloy, John L; Murphy, Karen E; Porter, Barbara J; Putzbach, Karsten; Rimmer, Catherine A; Sander, Lane C; Sharpless, Katherine E; Thomas, Jeanice B; Wise, Stephen A; Wood, Laura J; Yen, James H; Yarita, Takashi; NguyenPho, Agnes; Sorenson, Wendy R; Betz, Joseph M

2008-10-01

As part of a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements and the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed two standard reference materials (SRMs) representing different forms of saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), SRM 3250 Serenoa repens fruit and SRM 3251 Serenoa repens extract. Both of these SRMs have been characterized for their fatty acid and phytosterol content. The fatty acid concentration values are based on results from gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis while the sterol concentration values are based on results from GC-FID and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry analysis. In addition, SRM 3250 has been characterized for lead content, and SRM 3251 has been characterized for the content of beta-carotene and tocopherols. SRM 3250 (fruit) has certified concentration values for three phytosterols, 14 fatty acids as triglycerides, and lead along with reference concentration values for four fatty acids as triglycerides and 16 free fatty acids. SRM 3251 (extract) has certified concentration values for three phytosterols, 17 fatty acids as triglycerides, beta-carotene, and gamma-tocopherol along with reference concentration values for three fatty acids as triglycerides, 17 fatty acids as free fatty acids, beta-carotene isomers, and delta-tocopherol and information values for two phytosterols. These SRMs will complement other reference materials currently available with concentrations for similar analytes and are part of a series of SRMs being developed for dietary supplements.

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods

DOEpatents

Payne, Deborah A.; Burtner, Edwin R.; Hampton, Shawn D.; Gillen, David S.; Henry, Michael J.

2017-03-07

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods are described. In one aspect, a search system includes a communications interface configured to access a plurality of data items of a collection, wherein the data items include a plurality of image objects individually comprising image data utilized to generate an image of the respective data item. The search system may include processing circuitry coupled with the communications interface and configured to process the image data of the data items of the collection to identify a plurality of image content facets which are indicative of image content contained within the images and to associate the image objects with the image content facets and a display coupled with the processing circuitry and configured to depict the image objects associated with the image content facets.

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods

DOEpatents

Payne, Deborah A.; Burtner, Edwin R.; Bohn, Shawn J.; Hampton, Shawn D.; Gillen, David S.; Henry, Michael J.

2015-12-22

Search systems and computer-implemented search methods are described. In one aspect, a search system includes a communications interface configured to access a plurality of data items of a collection, wherein the data items include a plurality of image objects individually comprising image data utilized to generate an image of the respective data item. The search system may include processing circuitry coupled with the communications interface and configured to process the image data of the data items of the collection to identify a plurality of image content facets which are indicative of image content contained within the images and to associate the image objects with the image content facets and a display coupled with the processing circuitry and configured to depict the image objects associated with the image content facets.

Education in Biomedical and Health Informatics in the Web 3.0 Era: Standards for data, curricula, and activities. Contribution of the IMIA Working Group on Health and Medical Informatics Education.

PubMed

Otero, P; Hersh, W

2011-01-01

Web 3.0 is transforming the World Wide Web by allowing knowledge and reasoning to be gleaned from its content. Describe a new scenario in education and training known as "Education 3.0" that can help in the promotion of learning in health informatics in a collaborative way. Review of the current standards available for curricula and learning activities in in Biomedical and Health Informatics (BMHI) for a Web 3.0 scenario. A new scenario known as "Education 3.0" can provide open educational resources created and reused throughout different institutions and improved by means of an international collaborative knowledge powered by the use of E-learning. Currently there are standards that could be used in identifying and deliver content in education in BMHI in the semantic web era such as Resource Description Format (RDF), Web Ontology Language (OWL) and Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM). In addition, there are other standards to support healthcare education and training. There are few experiences in the use of standards in e-learning in BMHI published in the literature. Web 3.0 can propose new approaches to building the BMHI workforce so there is a need to build tools as knowledge infrastructure to leverage it. The usefulness of standards in the content and competencies of training programs in BMHI needs more experience and research so as to promote the interoperability and sharing of resources in this growing discipline.

Unhealthy Fat in Street and Snack Foods in Low-Socioeconomic Settings in India: A Case Study of the Food Environments of Rural Villages and an Urban Slum

PubMed Central

Gupta, Vidhu; Downs, Shauna M.; Ghosh-Jerath, Suparna; Lock, Karen; Singh, Archna

2016-01-01

Objective To describe the food environment in rural villages and an urban slum setting in India with reference to commercially available unbranded packaged snacks and street foods sold by vendors, and to analyze the type and quantity of fat in these foods. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Two low-income villages in Haryana and an urban slum in Delhi. Participants Street vendors (n = 44) were surveyed and the nutritional content of snacks (n = 49) sold by vendors was analyzed. Main Outcome Measures Vendors' awareness and perception of fats and oils, as well as the type of snacks sold, along with the content and quality of fat present in the snacks. Analysis Descriptive statistics of vendor survey and gas chromatography to measure fatty acid content in snacks. Results A variety of snacks were sold, including those in unlabeled transparent packages and open glass jars. Mean fat content in snacks was 28.8 g per 100-g serving in rural settings and 29.6 g per 100-g serving in urban settings. Sampled oils contained high levels of saturated fats (25% to 69% total fatty acids) and trans fats (0.1% to 30% of total fatty acids). Conclusions and Implications Interventions need to target the manufacturers of oils and fats used in freshly prepared products to improve the quality of foods available in the food environment of low-socioeconomic groups in India. PMID:26872553

Spatial resolution in visual memory.

PubMed

Ben-Shalom, Asaf; Ganel, Tzvi

2015-04-01

Representations in visual short-term memory are considered to contain relatively elaborated information on object structure. Conversely, representations in earlier stages of the visual hierarchy are thought to be dominated by a sensory-based, feed-forward buildup of information. In four experiments, we compared the spatial resolution of different object properties between two points in time along the processing hierarchy in visual short-term memory. Subjects were asked either to estimate the distance between objects or to estimate the size of one of the objects' features under two experimental conditions, of either a short or a long delay period between the presentation of the target stimulus and the probe. When different objects were referred to, similar spatial resolution was found for the two delay periods, suggesting that initial processing stages are sensitive to object-based properties. Conversely, superior resolution was found for the short, as compared with the long, delay when features were referred to. These findings suggest that initial representations in visual memory are hybrid in that they allow fine-grained resolution for object features alongside normal visual sensitivity to the segregation between objects. The findings are also discussed in reference to the distinction made in earlier studies between visual short-term memory and iconic memory.

Legal drug content in music video programs shown on Australian television on saturday mornings.

PubMed

Johnson, Rebecca; Croager, Emma; Pratt, Iain S; Khoo, Natalie

2013-01-01

To examine the extent to which legal drug references (alcohol and tobacco) are present in the music video clips shown on two music video programs broadcast in Australia on Saturday mornings. Further, to examine the music genres in which the references appeared and the dominant messages associated with the references. Music video clips shown on the music video programs 'Rage' (ABC TV) and [V] 'Music Video Chart' (Channel [V]) were viewed over 8 weeks from August 2011 to October 2011 and the number of clips containing verbal and/or visual drug references in each program was counted. The songs were classified by genre and the dominant messages associated with drug references were also classified and analysed. A considerable proportion of music videos (approximately one-third) contained drug references. Alcohol featured in 95% of the music videos that contained drug references. References to alcohol generally associated it with fun and humour, and alcohol and tobacco were both overwhelmingly presented in contexts that encouraged, rather than discouraged, their use. In Australia, Saturday morning is generally considered a children's television viewing timeslot, and several broadcaster Codes of Practice dictate that programs shown on Saturday mornings must be appropriate for viewing by audiences of all ages. Despite this, our findings show that music video programs aired on Saturday mornings contain a considerable level of drug-related content.

A comparison between the example reference biosphere model ERB 2B and a process-based model: simulation of a natural release scenario.

PubMed

Almahayni, T

2014-12-01

The BIOMASS methodology was developed with the objective of constructing defensible assessment biospheres for assessing potential radiological impacts of radioactive waste repositories. To this end, a set of Example Reference Biospheres were developed to demonstrate the use of the methodology and to provide an international point of reference. In this paper, the performance of the Example Reference Biosphere model ERB 2B associated with the natural release scenario, discharge of contaminated groundwater to the surface environment, was evaluated by comparing its long-term projections of radionuclide dynamics and distribution in a soil-plant system to those of a process-based, transient advection-dispersion model (AD). The models were parametrised with data characteristic of a typical rainfed winter wheat crop grown on a sandy loam soil under temperate climate conditions. Three safety-relevant radionuclides, (99)Tc, (129)I and (237)Np with different degree of sorption were selected for the study. Although the models were driven by the same hydraulic (soil moisture content and water fluxes) and radiological (Kds) input data, their projections were remarkably different. On one hand, both models were able to capture short and long-term variation in activity concentration in the subsoil compartment. On the other hand, the Reference Biosphere model did not project any radionuclide accumulation in the topsoil and crop compartments. This behaviour would underestimate the radiological exposure under natural release scenarios. The results highlight the potential role deep roots play in soil-to-plant transfer under a natural release scenario where radionuclides are released into the subsoil. When considering the relative activity and root depth profiles within the soil column, much of the radioactivity was taken up into the crop from the subsoil compartment. Further improvements were suggested to address the limitations of the Reference Biosphere model presented in this paper. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ornamental Horticulture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 32 curriculum modules in this packet for ornamental horticulture instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major division or units, the overall objectives, objectives by units, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A listing of…

Content or connectedness? Mother-child talk and early social understanding.

PubMed

Ensor, Rosie; Hughes, Claire

2008-01-01

Despite much research into individual differences in social understanding among preschoolers, little is known about corresponding individual differences within younger children. Likewise, although studies of preschoolers highlight the importance of mental-state references, other aspects of talk have received less attention. The current study involved 120 families with 2-year-olds; video-based transcripts of observations of family interaction were coded for quantity, connectedness, and content of mothers' and children's talk. At 2, 3, and 4 years of age, children completed social understanding and verbal ability tests. Mothers' connected turns and mental-state reference within connected turns showed independent associations with children's social understanding (as did children's mental-state references, both overall and within connected turns). Connected conversations provide a fertile context for children's developing social understanding.

[Theoretical and methodological uses of research in Social and Human Sciences in Health].

PubMed

Deslandes, Suely Ferreira; Iriart, Jorge Alberto Bernstein

2012-12-01

The current article aims to map and critically reflect on the current theoretical and methodological uses of research in the subfield of social and human sciences in health. A convenience sample was used to select three Brazilian public health journals. Based on a reading of 1,128 abstracts published from 2009 to 2010, 266 articles were selected that presented the empirical base of research stemming from social and human sciences in health. The sample was classified thematically as "theoretical/ methodological reference", "study type/ methodological design", "analytical categories", "data production techniques", and "analytical procedures". We analyze the sample's emic categories, drawing on the authors' literal statements. All the classifications and respective variables were tabulated in Excel. Most of the articles were self-described as qualitative and used more than one data production technique. There was a wide variety of theoretical references, in contrast with the almost total predominance of a single type of data analysis (content analysis). In several cases, important gaps were identified in expounding the study methodology and instrumental use of the qualitative research techniques and methods. However, the review did highlight some new objects of study and innovations in theoretical and methodological approaches.

Substitution of Hospital Care with Primary Care: Defining the Conditions of Primary Care Plus

PubMed Central

Kroese, Mariëlle Elisabeth Aafje Lydia; Spreeuwenberg, Marieke Dingena; Elissen, Arianne Mathilda Josephus; Meerlo, Ronald Johan; Hanraets, Monique Margaretha Henriëtte; Ruwaard, Dirk

2016-01-01

Objective: To analyse barriers and facilitators in substituting hospital care with primary care to define preconditions for successful implementation. Methods: A descriptive feasibility study was performed to collect information on the feasibility of substituting hospital care with primary care. General practitioners were able to refer patients, about whom they had doubts regarding diagnosis, treatment and/or the need to refer to hospital care, to medical specialists who performed low-complex consultations at general practitioner practices. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with general practitioners and medical specialists, focus groups and notes from meetings in the Netherlands between April 2013 and January 2014. Data were analysed using a conventional content analysis which resulted in categorised barriers, facilitators and policy adjustments, after which preconditions were formulated. Results: The most important preconditions were make arrangements on governmental level, arrange a collective integrated IT-system, determine the appropriate profile for medical specialists, design a referral protocol for eligible patients, arrange deliberation possibilities for general practitioners and medical specialists and formulate a diagnostic protocol. Conclusions: The barriers, facilitators and formulated preconditions provided relevant input to change the design of substituting hospital care with primary care. PMID:27616956

Systems and methods that generate height map models for efficient three dimensional reconstruction from depth information

DOEpatents

Frahm, Jan-Michael; Pollefeys, Marc Andre Leon; Gallup, David Robert

2015-12-08

Methods of generating a three dimensional representation of an object in a reference plane from a depth map including distances from a reference point to pixels in an image of the object taken from a reference point. Weights are assigned to respective voxels in a three dimensional grid along rays extending from the reference point through the pixels in the image based on the distances in the depth map from the reference point to the respective pixels, and a height map including an array of height values in the reference plane is formed based on the assigned weights. An n-layer height map may be constructed by generating a probabilistic occupancy grid for the voxels and forming an n-dimensional height map comprising an array of layer height values in the reference plane based on the probabilistic occupancy grid.

Sentence processing in anterior superior temporal cortex shows a social-emotional bias.

PubMed

Mellem, Monika S; Jasmin, Kyle M; Peng, Cynthia; Martin, Alex

2016-08-01

The anterior region of the left superior temporal gyrus/superior temporal sulcus (aSTG/STS) has been implicated in two very different cognitive functions: sentence processing and social-emotional processing. However, the vast majority of the sentence stimuli in previous reports have been of a social or social-emotional nature suggesting that sentence processing may be confounded with semantic content. To evaluate this possibility we had subjects read word lists that differed in phrase/constituent size (single words, 3-word phrases, 6-word sentences) and semantic content (social-emotional, social, and inanimate objects) while scanned in a 7T environment. This allowed us to investigate if the aSTG/STS responded to increasing constituent structure (with increased activity as a function of constituent size) with or without regard to a specific domain of concepts, i.e., social and/or social-emotional content. Activity in the left aSTG/STS was found to increase with constituent size. This region was also modulated by content, however, such that social-emotional concepts were preferred over social and object stimuli. Reading also induced content type effects in domain-specific semantic regions. Those preferring social-emotional content included aSTG/STS, inferior frontal gyrus, posterior STS, lateral fusiform, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala, regions included in the "social brain", while those preferring object content included parahippocampal gyrus, retrosplenial cortex, and caudate, regions involved in object processing. These results suggest that semantic content affects higher-level linguistic processing and should be taken into account in future studies. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Trade, Labour Markets and Health.

PubMed

McNamara, Courtney; Labonté, Ronald

2017-04-01

Previous analyses indicate that there are a number of potentially serious health risks associated with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The objective of this work is to provide further insight into the potential health impacts of the TPP by investigating labour market pathways. The impact of the TPP on employment and working conditions is a major point of contention in broader public debates. In public health literature, these factors are considered fundamental determinants of health, yet they are rarely addressed in analyses of trade and investment agreements. We therefore undertake a prospective policy analysis of the TPP through a content analysis of the agreement's Labour Chapter. Provisions of the Chapter are analyzed with reference to the health policy triangle and four main areas through which labour markets influence health: power relations, social policies, employment conditions and working conditions. Findings indicate that implementation of the TPP can have important impacts on health through labour market pathways. While the Labour Chapter is being presented by proponents of the agreement as a vehicle for improvement in labour standards, we find little evidence to support this view. Instead, we find several ways the TPP may weaken employment relations to the detriment of health.

Teach Astronomy: An Online Resource for Introductory Astronomy Courses and Informal Learners

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, Carmen; Impey, C. D.; Hardegree-Ullman, K.; Patikkal, A.; Ganesan, N.

2013-01-01

Teach Astronomy (www.teachastronomy.com) is a new, free online resource—a teaching tool for non-science major astronomy courses and a reference guide for lifelong learners interested in the subject. Digital content available includes: a comprehensive introductory astronomy textbook by Chris Impey, Wikipedia astronomy articles, images from Astronomy Picture of the Day archives and AstroPix database, two to three minute topical video clips by Chris Impey, podcasts from 365 Days of Astronomy archives, and an RSS feed of astronomy news from Science Daily. Teach Astronomy features an original technology called the Wikimap to cluster, display, and navigate site search results. Motivation behind the development of Teach Astronomy includes steep increases in textbook prices, the rapid adoption by students and the public of digital resources, and the modern capabilities of digital technology. Recent additions to Teach Astronomy include: AstroPix images—from some of the most advanced observatories and complete with metadata, mobile device functionality, links to WikiSky where users can see the location of astronomical objects in the sky, and end of chapter textbook review questions. Next in line for development are assignments for classroom use. We present suggestions for utilizing the rich content and features of the web site.

Preparation, validation and user-testing of pictogram-based patient information leaflets for hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Mateti, Uday Venkat; Nagappa, Anantha Naik; Attur, Ravindra Prabhu; Bairy, Manohar; Nagaraju, Shankar Prasad; Mallayasamy, Surulivelrajan; Vilakkathala, Rajesh; Guddattu, Vasudev; Balkrishnan, Rajesh

2015-11-01

Patient information leaflets are universally-accepted resources to educate the patients/users about their medications, disease and lifestyle modification. The objective of the study was to prepare, validate and perform user-testing of pictogram-based patient information leaflets (P-PILs) among hemodialysis (HD) patients. The P-PILs are prepared by referring to the primary, secondary and tertiary resources. The content and pictograms of the leaflet have been validated by an expert committee consisting of three nephrologists and two academic pharmacists. The Baker Able Leaflet Design has been applied to develop the layout and design of the P-PILs. Quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design without control group was conducted on 81 HD patients for user-testing of P-PILs. The mean Baker Able Leaflet Design assessment score for English version of the leaflet was 28, and 26 for Kannada version. The overall user-testing knowledge assessment mean scores were observed to have significantly improved from 44.25 to 69.62 with p value <0.001. The overall user opinion of content and legibility of the leaflets was good. Pictogram-based patient information leaflets can be considered an effective educational tool for HD patients.

Enhancing the Reuse of Digital Resources for Integrated Systems to Represent, Understand and Dynamize Complex Interactions in Architectural Cultural Heritage Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delgado, F. J.; Martinez, R.; Finat, J.; Martinez, J.; Puche, J. C.; Finat, F. J.

2013-07-01

In this work we develop a multiply interconnected system which involves objects, agents and interactions between them from the use of ICT applied to open repositories, users communities and web services. Our approach is applied to Architectural Cultural Heritage Environments (ACHE). It includes components relative to digital accessibility (to augmented ACHE repositories), contents management (ontologies for the semantic web), semiautomatic recognition (to ease the reuse of materials) and serious videogames (for interaction in urban environments). Their combination provides a support for local real/remote virtual tourism (including some tools for low-level RT display of rendering in portable devices), mobile-based smart interactions (with a special regard to monitored environments) and CH related games (as extended web services). Main contributions to AR models on usual GIS applied to architectural environments, concern to an interactive support performed directly on digital files which allows to access to CH contents which are referred to GIS of urban districts (involving facades, historical or preindustrial buildings) and/or CH repositories in a ludic and transversal way to acquire cognitive, medial and social abilities in collaborative environments.

Cortical reinstatement and the confidence and accuracy of source memory.

PubMed

Thakral, Preston P; Wang, Tracy H; Rugg, Michael D

2015-04-01

Cortical reinstatement refers to the overlap between neural activity elicited during the encoding and the subsequent retrieval of an episode, and is held to reflect retrieved mnemonic content. Previous findings have demonstrated that reinstatement effects reflect the quality of retrieved episodic information as this is operationalized by the accuracy of source memory judgments. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study investigated whether reinstatement-related activity also co-varies with the confidence of accurate source judgments. Participants studied pictures of objects along with their visual or spoken names. At test, they first discriminated between studied and unstudied pictures and then, for each picture judged as studied, they also judged whether it had been paired with a visual or auditory name, using a three-point confidence scale. Accuracy of source memory judgments- and hence the quality of the source-specifying information--was greater for high than for low confidence judgments. Modality-selective retrieval-related activity (reinstatement effects) also co-varied with the confidence of the corresponding source memory judgment. The findings indicate that the quality of the information supporting accurate judgments of source memory is indexed by the relative magnitude of content-selective, retrieval-related neural activity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

“A Breath of Fresh Air Worth Spreading”: Media Coverage of Retailer Abandonment of Tobacco Sales

PubMed Central

Offen, Naphtali; Yerger, Valerie B.; Malone, Ruth E.

2014-01-01

Objectives. Media play an important role in the diffusion of innovations by spreading knowledge of their relative advantages. We examined media coverage of retailers abandoning tobacco sales to explore whether this innovation might be further diffused by media accounts. Methods. We searched online media databases (Lexis Nexis, Proquest, and Access World News) for articles published from 1995 to 2011, coding retrieved items through a collaborative process. We analyzed the volume, type, provenance, prominence, and content of coverage. Results. We found 429 local and national news items. Two retailers who were the first in their category to end tobacco sales received the most coverage and the majority of prominent coverage. News items cited positive potential impacts of the decision more often than negative potential impacts, and frequently referred to tobacco-caused disease, death, or addiction. Letters to the editor and editorials were overwhelmingly supportive. Conclusions. The content of media coverage about retailers ending tobacco sales could facilitate broader diffusion of this policy innovation, contributing to the denormalization of tobacco and moving society closer to ending the tobacco epidemic. Media advocacy could increase and enhance such coverage. PMID:24432885

Burial and resurgence of projective identification in French psychoanalysis.

PubMed

Widlöcher, Daniel

2014-08-01

Curiously enough, the concept of projective identification was ignored, and even rejected in France for at least two decades after the publication of the founding texts of Melanie Klein and Herbert Rosenfeld. This rejection was due to a critique from child psychoanalysts close to Anna Freud and also from the teaching of Lacan: the first took the real mother-child relation extensively into account, while the latter only saw the internal object as a signifier. The fact that during this period the countertransference was a concept reduced to its negative content no doubt explains this deliberate ignorance. With the dissemination of a broader and more positive conception of the countertransference, a renewal of interest could be observed in the 1980s with references to empathic listening and to the effects of thought-induction. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Active-Learning Laboratory Session to Teach the Four M's of Diabetes Care

PubMed Central

Plake, Kimberly S.; Nash, Christiane L.; Shepler, Brian M.

2009-01-01

Objective To implement an active-learning methodology for teaching diabetes care to pharmacy students and evaluate its effectiveness. Design Laboratory instruction was divided into 4 primary areas of diabetes care, referred to by the mnemonic, the 4 M's: meal planning, motion, medication, and monitoring. Students participated in skill-based learning laboratory stations and in simulated patient experiences. A pretest, retrospective pretest, and posttest were administered to measure improvements in students' knowledge about diabetes and confidence in providing care to diabetes patients. Assessment Students knowledge of and confidence in each area assessed improved. Students enjoyed the laboratory session and felt it contributed to their learning. Conclusion An active-learning approach to teaching diabetes care allowed students to experience aspects of the disease from the patient's perspective. This approach will be incorporated in other content areas. PMID:19513160

USAF Bioenvironmental Noise Data Handbook. Volume 155. CH-3 in-flight crew noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hille, H. K.

1982-09-01

The CH-3 is a USAF tactical combat transport helicopter. This report provides measured data defining the bioacoustic environments at flight crew/passenger locations inside this helicopter during normal flight operations. Data are reported for nine locations in a wide variety of physical and psychoacoustic measures: overall and band sound pressure levels, C weighted and A weighted sound levels, preferred speech interference level, perceived noise levels and limiting times for total daily exposure of personnel with and without standard Air Force ear protectors. Refer to Volume 1 of this handbook, USAF Bioenvironmental Noise Data handbook, Vol. 1: Organization, Content and Application, AMRL-TR-75-50(1) 1975, for discussion of the objective and design of the handbook, the types of data presented, measurement procedures, instrumentation, data processing, definitions of quantities, symbols, equations, applications, limitations, etc.

USAF Environmental Noise Data Handbook. Volume 150: C-140 in-flight crew noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hille, H. K.

1982-09-01

The C-140 is a USAF transport aircraft used for operational support. This report provides measured data defining the bioacoustic environments at flight crew/passenger locations inside this aircraft during normal flight operations. Date are reported for seven locations in a wide variety of physical and psychoacoustic measures: overall and band sound pressure levels, C-weighted and A-weighted sound levels, preferred speech interference level, perceived noise level, and limiting times for total daily exposure of personnel with and without standard Air Force ear protectors. Refer to Volume 1 of this handbook, USAF Bioenvironmental Noise Data Handbook, Vol. 1: Organization, Content and Application, AMRL-TR-75-50(1) 1975, for discussion of the objective and design of the handbook, the types of data presented, measurement procedures, instrumentation, data processing, definitions of quantities, symbols, equations, applications, limitations, etc.

The Development and Evolution of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Taiwan from 1958 to 2016.

PubMed

Lien, I-Nan; Wu, Pei-Shen; Wang, Tyng-Guey; Chen, Ssu-Yuan; Lew, Henry L

2017-03-01

The field of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) began its development in Taiwan since 1958, and has gradually evolved into a profession that provides a diversity of clinical services and educational activities. The objectives of this brief report were to (1) review its background and milestones in the past 6 decades, (2) describe the current role and function of its Academy of PM&R, (3) present the content and format of its board certification process, focusing on (a) residency training requirements, (b) self-assessment examination, board certification process, and (c) maintenance of certification through continued education. Some challenges and opportunities are also discussed toward the end of this article. It is hoped that this report may serve as a reference material for other countries as they develop or improve their PM&R residency programs.

Analysis of Content Shared in Online Cancer Communities: Systematic Review

PubMed Central

van de Poll-Franse, Lonneke V; Krahmer, Emiel; Verberne, Suzan; Mols, Floortje

2018-01-01

Background The content that cancer patients and their relatives (ie, posters) share in online cancer communities has been researched in various ways. In the past decade, researchers have used automated analysis methods in addition to manual coding methods. Patients, providers, researchers, and health care professionals can learn from experienced patients, provided that their experience is findable. Objective The aim of this study was to systematically review all relevant literature that analyzes user-generated content shared within online cancer communities. We reviewed the quality of available research and the kind of content that posters share with each other on the internet. Methods A computerized literature search was performed via PubMed (MEDLINE), PsycINFO (5 and 4 stars), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ScienceDirect. The last search was conducted in July 2017. Papers were selected if they included the following terms: (cancer patient) and (support group or health communities) and (online or internet). We selected 27 papers and then subjected them to a 14-item quality checklist independently scored by 2 investigators. Results The methodological quality of the selected studies varied: 16 were of high quality and 11 were of adequate quality. Of those 27 studies, 15 were manually coded, 7 automated, and 5 used a combination of methods. The best results can be seen in the papers that combined both analytical methods. The number of analyzed posts ranged from 200 to 1,500,000; the number of analyzed posters ranged from 75 to 90,000. The studies analyzing large numbers of posts mainly related to breast cancer, whereas those analyzing small numbers were related to other types of cancers. A total of 12 studies involved some or entirely automatic analysis of the user-generated content. All the authors referred to two main content categories: informational support and emotional support. In all, 15 studies reported only on the content, 6 studies explicitly reported on content and social aspects, and 6 studies focused on emotional changes. Conclusions In the future, increasing amounts of user-generated content will become available on the internet. The results of content analysis, especially of the larger studies, give detailed insights into patients’ concerns and worries, which can then be used to improve cancer care. To make the results of such analyses as usable as possible, automatic content analysis methods will need to be improved through interdisciplinary collaboration. PMID:29615384

Techniques for Programming Visual Demonstrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gropper, George L.

Visual demonstrations may be used as part of programs to deliver both content objectives and process objectives. Research has shown that learning of concepts is easier, more accurate, and more broadly applied when it is accompanied by visual examples. The visual examples supporting content learning should emphasize both discrimination and…

On the relationship between land surface infrared emissivity and soil moisture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu

2018-01-01

The relationship between surface infrared (IR) emissivity and soil moisture content has been investigated based on satellite measurements. Surface soil moisture content can be estimated by IR remote sensing, namely using the surface parameters of IR emissivity, temperature, vegetation coverage, and soil texture. It is possible to separate IR emissivity from other parameters affecting surface soil moisture estimation. The main objective of this paper is to examine the correlation between land surface IR emissivity and soil moisture. To this end, we have developed a simple yet effective scheme to estimate volumetric soil moisture (VSM) using IR land surface emissivity retrieved from satellite IR spectral radiance measurements, assuming those other parameters impacting the radiative transfer (e.g., temperature, vegetation coverage, and surface roughness) are known for an acceptable time and space reference location. This scheme is applied to a decade of global IR emissivity data retrieved from MetOp-A infrared atmospheric sounding interferometer measurements. The VSM estimated from these IR emissivity data (denoted as IR-VSM) is used to demonstrate its measurement-to-measurement variations. Representative 0.25-deg spatially-gridded monthly-mean IR-VSM global datasets are then assembled to compare with those routinely provided from satellite microwave (MW) multisensor measurements (denoted as MW-VSM), demonstrating VSM spatial variations as well as seasonal-cycles and interannual variability. Initial positive agreement is shown to exist between IR- and MW-VSM (i.e., R2 = 0.85). IR land surface emissivity contains surface water content information. So, when IR measurements are used to estimate soil moisture, this correlation produces results that correspond with those customarily achievable from MW measurements. A decade-long monthly-gridded emissivity atlas is used to estimate IR-VSM, to demonstrate its seasonal-cycle and interannual variation, which is spatially coherent and consistent with that from MW measurements, and, moreover, to achieve our objective of investigating the relationship between land surface IR emissivity and soil moisture.

Role of orientation reference selection in motion sickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterka, Robert J.; Black, F. Owen

1987-01-01

The objectives of this proposal were developed to further explore and quantify the orientation reference selection abilities of subjects and the relation, if any, between motion sickness and orientation reference selection. The overall objectives of this proposal are to determine (1) if motion sickness susceptibility is related to sensory orientation reference selection abilities of subjects, (2) if abnormal vertical canal-otolith function is the source of these abnormal posture control strategies and if it can be quantified by vestibular and oculomotor reflex measurements, and (3) if quantifiable measures of perception of vestibular and visual motion cues can be related to motion sickness susceptibility and to orientation reference selection ability demonstrated by tests which systematically control the sensory imformation available for orientation.

Generating Ground Reference Data for a Global Impervious Surface Survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tilton, James C.; De Colstoun, Eric Brown; Wolfe, Robert E.; Tan, Bin; Huang, Chengquan

2012-01-01

We are developing an approach for generating ground reference data in support of a project to produce a 30m impervious cover data set of the entire Earth for the years 2000 and 2010 based on the Landsat Global Land Survey (GLS) data set. Since sufficient ground reference data for training and validation is not available from ground surveys, we are developing an interactive tool, called HSegLearn, to facilitate the photo-interpretation of 1 to 2 m spatial resolution imagery data, which we will use to generate the needed ground reference data at 30m. Through the submission of selected region objects and positive or negative examples of impervious surfaces, HSegLearn enables an analyst to automatically select groups of spectrally similar objects from a hierarchical set of image segmentations produced by the HSeg image segmentation program at an appropriate level of segmentation detail, and label these region objects as either impervious or nonimpervious.

Frames of Reference in Spatial Memories Acquired From Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mou, Weimin; Zhang, Kan; McNamara, Timothy P.

2004-01-01

Four experiments examined reference systems in spatial memories acquired from language. Participants read narratives that located 4 objects in canonical (front, back, left, right) or noncanonical (left front, right front, left back, right back) positions around them. Participants' focus of attention was first set on each of the 4 objects, and then…

Off-axis illumination direct-to-digital holography

DOEpatents

Thomas, Clarence E.; Price, Jeffery R.; Voelkl, Edgar; Hanson, Gregory R.

2004-06-08

Systems and methods are described for off-axis illumination direct-to-digital holography. A method of recording an off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis, includes: reflecting a reference beam from a reference mirror at a non-normal angle; reflecting an object beam from an object at an angle with respect to an optical axis defined by a focusing lens; focusing the reference beam and the object beam at a focal plane of a digital recorder to form the off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; digitally recording the off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes for Fourier analysis; Fourier analyzing the recorded off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes by transforming axes of the recorded off-axis illuminated spatially heterodyne hologram including spatially heterodyne fringes in Fourier space to sit on top of a heterodyne carrier frequency defined as an angle between the reference beam and the object beam; applying a digital filter to cut off signals around an original origin; and then performing an inverse Fourier transform.

Wikipedia and Medicine: Quantifying Readership, Editors, and the Significance of Natural Language

PubMed Central

West, Andrew G

2015-01-01

Background Wikipedia is a collaboratively edited encyclopedia. One of the most popular websites on the Internet, it is known to be a frequently used source of health care information by both professionals and the lay public. Objective This paper quantifies the production and consumption of Wikipedia’s medical content along 4 dimensions. First, we measured the amount of medical content in both articles and bytes and, second, the citations that supported that content. Third, we analyzed the medical readership against that of other health care websites between Wikipedia’s natural language editions and its relationship with disease prevalence. Fourth, we surveyed the quantity/characteristics of Wikipedia’s medical contributors, including year-over-year participation trends and editor demographics. Methods Using a well-defined categorization infrastructure, we identified medically pertinent English-language Wikipedia articles and links to their foreign language equivalents. With these, Wikipedia can be queried to produce metadata and full texts for entire article histories. Wikipedia also makes available hourly reports that aggregate reader traffic at per-article granularity. An online survey was used to determine the background of contributors. Standard mining and visualization techniques (eg, aggregation queries, cumulative distribution functions, and/or correlation metrics) were applied to each of these datasets. Analysis focused on year-end 2013, but historical data permitted some longitudinal analysis. Results Wikipedia’s medical content (at the end of 2013) was made up of more than 155,000 articles and 1 billion bytes of text across more than 255 languages. This content was supported by more than 950,000 references. Content was viewed more than 4.88 billion times in 2013. This makes it one of if not the most viewed medical resource(s) globally. The core editor community numbered less than 300 and declined over the past 5 years. The members of this community were half health care providers and 85.5% (100/117) had a university education. Conclusions Although Wikipedia has a considerable volume of multilingual medical content that is extensively read and well-referenced, the core group of editors that contribute and maintain that content is small and shrinking in size. PMID:25739399

Determination of Component Contents of Blend Oil Based on Characteristics Peak Value Integration.

PubMed

Xu, Jing; Hou, Pei-guo; Wang, Yu-tian; Pan, Zhao

2016-01-01

Edible blend oil market is confused at present. It has some problems such as confusing concepts, randomly named, shoddy and especially the fuzzy standard of compositions and ratios in blend oil. The national standard fails to come on time after eight years. The basic reason is the lack of qualitative and quantitative detection of vegetable oils in blend oil. Edible blend oil is mixed by different vegetable oils according to a certain proportion. Its nutrition is rich. Blend oil is eaten frequently in daily life. Different vegetable oil contains a certain components. The mixed vegetable oil can make full use of their nutrients and make the nutrients more balanced in blend oil. It is conducive to people's health. It is an effectively way to monitor blend oil market by the accurate determination of single vegetable oil content in blend oil. The types of blend oil are known, so we only need for accurate determination of its content. Three dimensional fluorescence spectra are used for the contents in blend oil. A new method of data processing is proposed with calculation of characteristics peak value integration in chosen characteristic area based on Quasi-Monte Carlo method, combined with Neural network method to solve nonlinear equations to obtain single vegetable oil content in blend oil. Peanut oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil are used as research object to reconcile into edible blend oil, with single oil regarded whole, not considered each oil's components. Recovery rates of 10 configurations of edible harmonic oil is measured to verify the validity of the method of characteristics peak value integration. An effective method is provided to detect components content of complex mixture in high sensitivity. Accuracy of recovery rats is increased, compared the common method of solution of linear equations used to detect components content of mixture. It can be used in the testing of kinds and content of edible vegetable oil in blend oil for the food quality detection, and provide an effective reference for the creation of national standards.

40 CFR 1065.1010 - Reference materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... § 1065.1010—Institute of Petroleum Materials Document No. and name Part 1065 reference IP-470... atomic absorption spectrometry 1065.705 IP-500, Determination of the phosphorus content of residual fuels by ultra-violet spectrometry 1065.705 IP-501, Determination of aluminum, silicon, vanadium, nickel...

Comparing the minimum spatial-frequency content for recognizing Chinese and alphabet characters

PubMed Central

Wang, Hui; Legge, Gordon E.

2018-01-01

Visual blur is a common problem that causes difficulty in pattern recognition for normally sighted people under degraded viewing conditions (e.g., near the acuity limit, when defocused, or in fog) and also for people with impaired vision. For reliable identification, the spatial frequency content of an object needs to extend up to or exceed a minimum value in units of cycles per object, referred to as the critical spatial frequency. In this study, we investigated the critical spatial frequency for alphabet and Chinese characters, and examined the effect of pattern complexity. The stimuli were divided into seven categories based on their perimetric complexity, including the lowercase and uppercase alphabet letters, and five groups of Chinese characters. We found that the critical spatial frequency significantly increased with complexity, from 1.01 cycles per character for the simplest group to 2.00 cycles per character for the most complex group of Chinese characters. A second goal of the study was to test a space-bandwidth invariance hypothesis that would represent a tradeoff between the critical spatial frequency and the number of adjacent patterns that can be recognized at one time. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the critical spatial frequencies in cycles per character from the current study and visual-span sizes in number of characters (measured by Wang, He, & Legge, 2014) for sets of characters with different complexities. For the character size (1.2°) we used in the study, we found an invariant product of approximately 10 cycles, which may represent a capacity limitation on visual pattern recognition. PMID:29297056

Blog and Podcast Watch: Pediatric Emergency Medicine.

PubMed

Zaver, Fareen; Hansen, Michael; Leibner, Evan; Little, Andrew; Lin, Michelle

2016-09-01

By critically appraising open access, educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine (EM) using an objective scoring instrument, this installment of the ALiEM (Academic Life in Emergency Medicine) Blog and Podcast Watch series curated and scored relevant posts in the specific areas of pediatric EM. The Approved Instructional Resources - Professional (AIR-Pro) series is a continuously building curriculum covering a new subject area every two months. For each area, six EM chief residents identify 3-5 advanced clinical questions. Using FOAMsearch.net to search blogs and podcasts, relevant posts are scored by eight reviewers from the AIR-Pro Board, which is comprised of EM faculty and chief residents at various institutions. The scoring instrument contains five measurement outcomes based on 7-point Likert scales: recency, accuracy, educational utility, evidence based, and references. The AIR-Pro label is awarded to posts with a score of ≥26 (out of 35) points. An "Honorable Mention" label is awarded if Board members collectively felt that the posts were valuable and the scores were > 20. We included a total of 41 blog posts and podcasts. Key educational pearls from the 10 high quality AIR-Pro posts and four Honorable Mentions are summarized. The WestJEM ALiEM Blog and Podcast Watch series is based on the AIR and AIR-Pro series, which attempts to identify high quality educational content on open-access blogs and podcasts. Until more objective quality indicators are developed for learners and educators, this series provides an expert-based, crowdsourced approach towards critically appraising educational social media content for EM clinicians.

Blog and Podcast Watch: Pediatric Emergency Medicine

PubMed Central

Zaver, Fareen; Hansen, Michael; Leibner, Evan; Little, Andrew; Lin, Michelle

2016-01-01

Introduction By critically appraising open access, educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine (EM) using an objective scoring instrument, this installment of the ALiEM (Academic Life in Emergency Medicine) Blog and Podcast Watch series curated and scored relevant posts in the specific areas of pediatric EM. Methods The Approved Instructional Resources – Professional (AIR-Pro) series is a continuously building curriculum covering a new subject area every two months. For each area, six EM chief residents identify 3–5 advanced clinical questions. Using FOAMsearch.net to search blogs and podcasts, relevant posts are scored by eight reviewers from the AIR-Pro Board, which is comprised of EM faculty and chief residents at various institutions. The scoring instrument contains five measurement outcomes based on 7-point Likert scales: recency, accuracy, educational utility, evidence based, and references. The AIR-Pro label is awarded to posts with a score of ≥26 (out of 35) points. An “Honorable Mention” label is awarded if Board members collectively felt that the posts were valuable and the scores were > 20. Results We included a total of 41 blog posts and podcasts. Key educational pearls from the 10 high quality AIR-Pro posts and four Honorable Mentions are summarized. Conclusion The WestJEM ALiEM Blog and Podcast Watch series is based on the AIR and AIR-Pro series, which attempts to identify high quality educational content on open-access blogs and podcasts. Until more objective quality indicators are developed for learners and educators, this series provides an expert-based, crowdsourced approach towards critically appraising educational social media content for EM clinicians. PMID:27625713

Brain response to visual sexual stimuli in homosexual pedophiles

PubMed Central

Schiffer, Boris; Krueger, Tillmann; Paul, Thomas; de Greiff, Armin; Forsting, Michael; Leygraf, Norbert; Schedlowski, Manfred; Gizewski, Elke

2008-01-01

Objective The neurobiological mechanisms of deviant sexual preferences such as pedophilia are largely unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze whether brain activation patterns of homosexual pedophiles differed from those of a nonpedophile homosexual control group during visual sexual stimulation. Method A consecutive sample of 11 pedophile forensic inpatients exclusively attracted to boys and 12 age-matched homosexual control participants from a comparable socioeconomic stratum underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during a visual sexual stimulation procedure that used sexually stimulating and emotionally neutral photographs. Sexual arousal was assessed according to a subjective rating scale. Results In contrast to sexually neutral pictures, in both groups sexually arousing pictures having both homosexual and pedophile content activated brain areas known to be involved in processing visual stimuli containing emotional content, including the occipitotemporal and prefrontal cortices. However, during presentation of the respective sexual stimuli, the thalamus, globus pallidus and striatum, which correspond to the key areas of the brain involved in sexual arousal and behaviour, showed significant activation in pedophiles, but not in control subjects. Conclusions Central processing of visual sexual stimuli in homosexual pedophiles seems to be comparable to that in nonpedophile control subjects. However, compared with homosexual control subjects, activation patterns in pedophiles refer more strongly to subcortical regions, which have previously been discussed in the context of processing reward signals and also play an important role in addictive and stimulus-controlled behaviour. Thus future studies should further elucidate the specificity of these brain regions for the processing of sexual stimuli in pedophilia and should address the generally weaker activation pattern in homosexual men. PMID:18197269

Lateral organization and aesthetic preference: the importance of peripheral visual asymmetries.

PubMed

Beaumont, J G

1985-01-01

The observation that right-handers prefer pictures with the important content to the right was examined. In the first experiment, subjects manipulated the two elements of the composition. They showed a bias to place the principal object to the right and, with a central principal object, the secondary object was placed to the left. In a further experiment, eye movements were recorded while subjects scanned the pictures used in the first experiment and a rightward lateral bias in gaze direction was observed. It is argued that lateral asymmetry in preferred picture arrangements is not the result of a counterbalancing of content against perceptual bias, but a consequence of gaze being directed to informative content on the right, leaving more of the secondary content within the left visual field and associated with attentional bias or processes of the right hemisphere.

Implementing system simulation of C3 systems using autonomous objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rogers, Ralph V.

1987-01-01

The basis of all conflict recognition in simulation is a common frame of reference. Synchronous discrete-event simulation relies on the fixed points in time as the basic frame of reference. Asynchronous discrete-event simulation relies on fixed-points in the model space as the basic frame of reference. Neither approach provides sufficient support for autonomous objects. The use of a spatial template as a frame of reference is proposed to address these insufficiencies. The concept of a spatial template is defined and an implementation approach offered. Discussed are the uses of this approach to analyze the integration of sensor data associated with Command, Control, and Communication systems.

How to build a course in mathematical-biological modeling: content and processes for knowledge and skill.

PubMed

Hoskinson, Anne-Marie

2010-01-01

Biological problems in the twenty-first century are complex and require mathematical insight, often resulting in mathematical models of biological systems. Building mathematical-biological models requires cooperation among biologists and mathematicians, and mastery of building models. A new course in mathematical modeling presented the opportunity to build both content and process learning of mathematical models, the modeling process, and the cooperative process. There was little guidance from the literature on how to build such a course. Here, I describe the iterative process of developing such a course, beginning with objectives and choosing content and process competencies to fulfill the objectives. I include some inductive heuristics for instructors seeking guidance in planning and developing their own courses, and I illustrate with a description of one instructional model cycle. Students completing this class reported gains in learning of modeling content, the modeling process, and cooperative skills. Student content and process mastery increased, as assessed on several objective-driven metrics in many types of assessments.

How to Build a Course in Mathematical–Biological Modeling: Content and Processes for Knowledge and Skill

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Biological problems in the twenty-first century are complex and require mathematical insight, often resulting in mathematical models of biological systems. Building mathematical–biological models requires cooperation among biologists and mathematicians, and mastery of building models. A new course in mathematical modeling presented the opportunity to build both content and process learning of mathematical models, the modeling process, and the cooperative process. There was little guidance from the literature on how to build such a course. Here, I describe the iterative process of developing such a course, beginning with objectives and choosing content and process competencies to fulfill the objectives. I include some inductive heuristics for instructors seeking guidance in planning and developing their own courses, and I illustrate with a description of one instructional model cycle. Students completing this class reported gains in learning of modeling content, the modeling process, and cooperative skills. Student content and process mastery increased, as assessed on several objective-driven metrics in many types of assessments. PMID:20810966

Nouns referring to tools and natural objects differentially modulate the motor system.

PubMed

Gough, Patricia M; Riggio, Lucia; Chersi, Fabian; Sato, Marc; Fogassi, Leonardo; Buccino, Giovanni

2012-01-01

While increasing evidence points to a critical role for the motor system in language processing, the focus of previous work has been on the linguistic category of verbs. Here we tested whether nouns are effective in modulating the motor system and further whether different kinds of nouns - those referring to artifacts or natural items, and items that are graspable or ungraspable - would differentially modulate the system. A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) study was carried out to compare modulation of the motor system when subjects read nouns referring to objects which are Artificial or Natural and which are Graspable or Ungraspable. TMS was applied to the primary motor cortex representation of the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle of the right hand at 150 ms after noun presentation. Analyses of Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) revealed that across the duration of the task, nouns referring to graspable artifacts (tools) were associated with significantly greater MEP areas. Analyses of the initial presentation of items revealed a main effect of graspability. The findings are in line with an embodied view of nouns, with MEP measures modulated according to whether nouns referred to natural objects or artifacts (tools), confirming tools as a special class of items in motor terms. Additionally our data support a difference for graspable versus non graspable objects, an effect which for natural objects is restricted to initial presentation of items. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Writing Useful Instructional Objectives in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Shawna

2016-01-01

Within a physical education curriculum, and presented in individual lesson plans, instructional objectives serve several important purposes: they provide a direct link between the curriculum content and procedures for students to master that content; they provide a clear path for assessment--a way to determine whether students have indeed learned…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Forestry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the seven curriculum modules in this packet for forestry instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major divisions or units, the overall objectives, objectives by unit, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. Module titles are Forest Fire…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 31 curriculum modules in this packet for agricultural resources instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major division or units, the overall objective, objectives by units, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A list of resource…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Mechanics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 38 curriculum modules in this packet for agricultural mechanics instruction contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major divisions or units, the overall objectives, objectives by unit, content outline and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A listing of…

Prescription Drug Abuse Information in D.A.R.E.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Melissa C.; Cline, Rebecca J. Welch; Weiler, Robert M.; Broadway, S. Camille

2006-01-01

This investigation was designed to examine prescription drug-related content and learning objectives in Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) for upper elementary and middle schools. Specific prescription-drug topics and context associated with content and objectives were coded. The coding system for topics included 126 topics organized…

Context for Communication: Teaching Expertise through Case-Based In-Basket Exercises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stearns, James M.; Ronald, Kate; Greenlee, Timothy B.; Crespy, Charles T.

2003-01-01

Case-based in-basket exercises require students to master content as well as communicate knowledge to professional audiences. The combination of specialized content knowledge and analysis of communication contexts helps develop expertise. (Contains 23 references and an in-basket example.) (SK)

The effect of visualizing the flow of multimedia content among and inside devices.

PubMed

Lee, Dong-Seok

2009-05-01

This study introduces a user interface, referred to as the flow interface, which provides a graphical representation of the movement of content among and inside audio/video devices. The proposed interface provides a different frame of reference with content-oriented visualization of the generation, manipulation, storage, and display of content as well as input and output. The flow interface was applied to a VCR/DVD recorder combo, one of the most complicated consumer products. A between-group experiment was performed to determine whether the flow interface helps users to perform various tasks and to examine the learning effect of the flow interface, particularly in regard to hooking up and recording tasks. The results showed that participants with access to the flow interface performed better in terms of success rate and elapsed time. In addition, the participants indicated that they could easily understand the flow interface. The potential of the flow interface for application to other audio video devices, and design issues requiring further consideration, are discussed.

Active retrieval facilitates across-episode binding by modulating the content of memory.

PubMed

Bridge, Donna J; Voss, Joel L

2014-10-01

The contents of memory can be updated when information from the current episode is bound with content retrieved from previous episodes. Little is known regarding factors that determine the memory content that is subject to this across-episode binding. We tested whether across-episode binding preferentially occurs for memory content that is currently "active" and identified relevant neural correlates. After studying objects at specific locations on scene backgrounds, subjects performed one of two retrieval tasks for the objects on different scene backgrounds. In an active condition, subjects recalled object locations, whereas subjects merely dragged objects to predetermined locations in a passive condition. Immediately following each object-location retrieval event, a novel face appeared on a blank screen. We hypothesized that the original episode content would be active in memory during face encoding in the active condition, but not in the passive condition (despite seeing the same content in both conditions). A ramification of the active condition would thus be preferential binding of original episode content to novel faces, with no such across-episode binding in the passive condition. Indeed, memory for faces was better when tested on the original background scenes in the active relative to passive condition, indicating that original episode content was bound with the active condition faces, whereas this occurred to a lesser extent for the passive condition faces. Likewise, early-onset negative ERP effects reflected binding of the face to the original episode content in the active but not the passive condition. In contrast, binding in the passive condition occurred only when faces were physically displayed on the original scenes during recognition testing, and a very similar early-onset negative ERP effect signaled binding in this condition. ERP correlates of binding were thus similar for across-episode and within-episode binding (and were distinct from other encoding and retrieval ERP signals in both cases), indicating that active retrieval modulated when binding occurred, not the nature of the binding process per se. These results suggest that active retrieval promotes binding of new information with contents of memory, whereas without active retrieval, these unrelated pieces of information might be bound only when they are physically paired. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Method and apparatus for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material in an object

DOEpatents

Crane, Thomas W.

1986-01-01

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material within an object. Neutrons having an energy higher than thermal neutrons are generated and thermalized. The thermal neutrons are detected and counted. The object is placed between the neutron generator and the neutron detector. The reduction in the neutron flux corresponds to the amount of thermal neutron absorbing material in the object. The object is advanced past the neutron generator and neutron detector to obtain neutron flux data for each segment of the object. The object may comprise a space reactor heat pipe and the thermal neutron absorbing material may comprise lithium.

Method and apparatus for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material in an object

DOEpatents

Crane, T.W.

1983-12-21

The disclosure is directed to an apparatus and method for determining the content and distribution of a thermal neutron absorbing material within an object. Neutrons having an energy higher than thermal neutrons are generated and thermalized. The thermal neutrons are detected and counted. The object is placed between the neutron generator and the neutron detector. The reduction in the neutron flux corresponds to the amount of thermal neutron absorbing material in the object. The object is advanced past the neutron generator and neutron detector to obtain neutron flux data for each segment of the object. The object may comprise a space reactor heat pipe and the thermal neutron absorbing material may comprise lithium.

Automatic frame-centered object representation and integration revealed by iconic memory, visual priming, and backward masking.

PubMed

Lin, Zhicheng; He, Sheng

2012-10-25

Object identities ("what") and their spatial locations ("where") are processed in distinct pathways in the visual system, raising the question of how the what and where information is integrated. Because of object motions and eye movements, the retina-based representations are unstable, necessitating nonretinotopic representation and integration. A potential mechanism is to code and update objects according to their reference frames (i.e., frame-centered representation and integration). To isolate frame-centered processes, in a frame-to-frame apparent motion configuration, we (a) presented two preceding or trailing objects on the same frame, equidistant from the target on the other frame, to control for object-based (frame-based) effect and space-based effect, and (b) manipulated the target's relative location within its frame to probe frame-centered effect. We show that iconic memory, visual priming, and backward masking depend on objects' relative frame locations, orthogonal of the retinotopic coordinate. These findings not only reveal that iconic memory, visual priming, and backward masking can be nonretinotopic but also demonstrate that these processes are automatically constrained by contextual frames through a frame-centered mechanism. Thus, object representation is robustly and automatically coupled to its reference frame and continuously being updated through a frame-centered, location-specific mechanism. These findings lead to an object cabinet framework, in which objects ("files") within the reference frame ("cabinet") are orderly coded relative to the frame.

PIDs, Types and the Semantic Web

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwardmann, Ulrich

2017-04-01

PID Information Types are becoming a crucial role in scientific data management because they can provide state (what) and binding (where) information about digital objects as attributes of the PID. This is a similar but much more flexible approach than the well known mime type characterization, because both of these types concepts allow to decide about preconditions for processes in advance and before touching the data. One aspect of this is the need for standards and correctness of the used types to ensure reliability for the processes operating on the digital objects. This requires registries and schemas for PID InfoTypes and suggests an automated schema generation process. Such a process in combination with data type registries will be described in more detail in the intended talk. Another aspect of PID InfoTypes is its intrinsic grammar as subject-predicate-object triple, with the PID as subject, the type as predicate and its value (often again a PID) as object in this relation. Given the registration of types and the proposed syntactical rigidness of the value, guaranteed by the schema, together with the use of PIDs in subject and predicate, the type concept has the ability to overcome the fuzziness and lack of reliability of semantic web categories with its URL references and possibly changing locations and content. The intended talk will also describe this approach in more detail, discusses the differences to linked data and describes some necessary technological developments for the type concept to keep up with the possibilities currently provided by the semantic web.

On consistent inter-view synthesis for autostereoscopic displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Lam C.; Bal, Can; Pal, Christopher J.; Nguyen, Truong Q.

2012-03-01

In this paper we present a novel stereo view synthesis algorithm that is highly accurate with respect to inter-view consistency, thus to enabling stereo contents to be viewed on the autostereoscopic displays. The algorithm finds identical occluded regions within each virtual view and aligns them together to extract a surrounding background layer. The background layer for each occluded region is then used with an exemplar based inpainting method to synthesize all virtual views simultaneously. Our algorithm requires the alignment and extraction of background layers for each occluded region; however, these two steps are done efficiently with lower computational complexity in comparison to previous approaches using the exemplar based inpainting algorithms. Thus, it is more efficient than existing algorithms that synthesize one virtual view at a time. This paper also describes the implementation of a simplified GPU accelerated version of the approach and its implementation in CUDA. Our CUDA method has sublinear complexity in terms of the number of views that need to be generated, which makes it especially useful for generating content for autostereoscopic displays that require many views to operate. An objective of our work is to allow the user to change depth and viewing perspective on the fly. Therefore, to further accelerate the CUDA variant of our approach, we present a modified version of our method to warp the background pixels from reference views to a middle view to recover background pixels. We then use an exemplar based inpainting method to fill in the occluded regions. We use warping of the foreground from the reference images and background from the filled regions to synthesize new virtual views on the fly. Our experimental results indicate that the simplified CUDA implementation decreases running time by orders of magnitude with negligible loss in quality. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Consumer preferences for front-of-pack calories labelling

PubMed Central

van Kleef, Ellen; van Trijp, Hans; Paeps, Frederic; Fernández-Celemín, Laura

2008-01-01

Objective In light of the emerging obesity pandemic, front-of-pack calories labels may be an important tool to assist consumers in making informed healthier food choices. However, there is little prior research to guide key decisions on whether caloric content should be expressed in absolute terms or relative to recommended daily intake, whether it should be expressed in per serving or per 100 g and whether the information should be further brought alive for consumers in terms of what the extra calorie intake implies in relation to activity levels. The present study aimed at providing more insight into consumers’ appreciation of front-of-pack labelling of caloric content of food products and their specific preferences for alternative execution formats for such information in Europe. Design For this purpose, eight executions of front-of-pack calorie flags were designed and their appeal and information value were extensively discussed with consumers through qualitative research in four different countries (Germany, The Netherlands, France and the UK). Results The results show that calories are well-understood and that participants were generally positive about front-of-pack flags, particularly when flags are uniform across products. The most liked flags are the simpler flags depicting only the number of calories per serving or per 100 g, while more complex flags including references to daily needs or exercise and the flag including a phrase referring to balanced lifestyle were least preferred. Some relevant differences between countries were observed. Although participants seem to be familiar with the notion of calories, they do not seem to fully understand how to apply them. Conclusion From the results, managerial implications for the design and implementation of front-of-pack calorie labelling as well as important directions for future research are discussed. PMID:17601362

Communicating genetics and smoking through social media: are we there yet?

PubMed

de Viron, Sylviane; Suggs, L Suzanne; Brand, Angela; Van Oyen, Herman

2013-09-09

Social media is a recent source of health information that could disseminate new scientific research, such as the genetics of smoking. The objectives were (1) to evaluate the availability of genetic information about smoking on different social media platforms (ie, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter) and (2) to assess the type and the content of the information displayed on the social media as well as the profile of people publishing this information. We screened posts on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter with the terms "smoking" and "genetic" at two time points (September 18, 2012, and May 7, 2013). The first 100 posts were reviewed for each media for the time points. Google was searched during Time 2 as an indicator of available information on the Web and the other social media that discussed genetics and smoking. The source of information, the country of the publisher, characteristics of the posts, and content of the posts were extracted. On YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, 31, 0, and 84 posts, respectively, were included. Posts were mostly based on smoking-related diseases, referred to scientific publications, and were largely from the United States. From the Google search, most results were scientific databases. Six scientific publications referred to within the Google search were also retrieved on either YouTube or Twitter. Despite the importance of public understanding of smoking and genetics, and the high use of social media, little information on this topic is actually present on social media. Therefore, there is a need to monitor the information that is there and to evaluate the population's understanding of the information related to genetics and smoking that is displayed on social media.

Comparison of two reference methods for detemining cotton fiber moisture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Moisture is an important quality and processing property for the cotton industry. The standard reference method for determining the moisture content in cotton fiber is the ASTM oven method (gravimetric weight loss). Several concerns have expressed on its ability to measure the actual moisture cont...

Fraud Education for Accounting Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Bonita K.

2003-01-01

Reports that limited fraud education takes place in accounting due to a crowded curriculum and misunderstanding of the extent of fraud. Suggests ways to develop content on the topic and provides a list of teaching materials (textbooks, workbooks, trade books, case materials, videos, and reference materials). (Contains 16 references.) (SK)

Psychology: A Student's Guide to Reference Sources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lachance, Barbara, Comp.

This bibliography lists reference sources which are useful for research in psychology. Contents are selected, emphasizing clinical psychology. Two major sections of the guide, general and specific topics, supplement each other. The general section, arranged by form--dictionaries, handbooks, and encyclopedias--includes works which treat all facets…

Learning from other people’s fear: amygdala-based social reference learning in social anxiety disorder

PubMed Central

Blair, K. S.; Otero, M.; Teng, C.; Geraci, M.; Lewis, E.; Hollon, N.; Blair, R. J. R.; Ernst, Monique; Grillon, C.; Pine, D. S.

2016-01-01

Background Social anxiety disorder involves fear of social objects or situations. Social referencing may play an important role in the acquisition of this fear and could be a key determinant in future biomarkers and treatment pathways. However, the neural underpinnings mediating such learning in social anxiety are unknown. Using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined social reference learning in social anxiety disorder. Specifically, would patients with the disorder show increased amygdala activity during social reference learning, and further, following social reference learning, show particularly increased response to objects associated with other people’s negative reactions? Method A total of 32 unmedicated patients with social anxiety disorder and 22 age-, intelligence quotient- and gender-matched healthy individuals responded to objects that had become associated with others’ fearful, angry, happy or neutral reactions. Results During the social reference learning phase, a significant group × social context interaction revealed that, relative to the comparison group, the social anxiety group showed a significantly greater response in the amygdala, as well as rostral, dorsomedial and lateral frontal and parietal cortices during the social, relative to non-social, referencing trials. In addition, during the object test phase, relative to the comparison group, the social anxiety group showed increased bilateral amygdala activation to objects associated with others’ fearful reactions, and a trend towards decreased amygdala activation to objects associated with others’ happy and neutral reactions. Conclusions These results suggest perturbed observational learning in social anxiety disorder. In addition, they further implicate the amygdala and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in the disorder, and underscore their importance in future biomarker developments. PMID:27476529

A novel no-reference objective stereoscopic video quality assessment method based on visual saliency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xinyan; Zhao, Wei; Ye, Long; Zhang, Qin

2017-07-01

This paper proposes a no-reference objective stereoscopic video quality assessment method with the motivation that making the effect of objective experiments close to that of subjective way. We believe that the image regions with different visual salient degree should not have the same weights when designing an assessment metric. Therefore, we firstly use GBVS algorithm to each frame pairs and separate both the left and right viewing images into the regions with strong, general and week saliency. Besides, local feature information like blockiness, zero-crossing and depth are extracted and combined with a mathematical model to calculate a quality assessment score. Regions with different salient degree are assigned with different weights in the mathematical model. Experiment results demonstrate the superiority of our method compared with the existed state-of-the-art no-reference objective Stereoscopic video quality assessment methods.

Is popular radio a source of exposure to alcohol references in mid to later life? A content analysis.

PubMed

Haighton, C; Halligan, J; Scott, S

2017-04-20

There is concern around alcohol consumption in mid to later life yet little understanding about what influences this behaviour. No previous research has explored the extent to which adults in mid to later life may be exposed to alcohol references in the media. This project aimed to determine the frequency of alcohol references on radio stations with a high proportion of listeners in mid to later life. Content analysis of alcohol references on four popular UK music-based radio stations with a high proportion of listeners aged 55-64 years over three time points. Alcohol references occur frequently, but vary by time of year and type of radio station. When alcohol is mentioned its consumption is portrayed as the norm, without negative consequences. On three commercial stations, the majority of mentions came from advertising, whereas on BBC Radio 2 nearly all references were talk-based. All adverts for direct promotion of alcohol were by supermarkets. Alcohol was frequently associated with celebrations, socializing or something to consume for its own sake. Adults in the age group 55-64 may be exposed to references to alcohol that could serve to reinforce norms of consumption of alcohol and promote purchases of cheap alcohol. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

No-reference multiscale blur detection tool for content based image retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezekiel, Soundararajan; Stocker, Russell; Harrity, Kyle; Alford, Mark; Ferris, David; Blasch, Erik; Gorniak, Mark

2014-06-01

In recent years, digital cameras have been widely used for image capturing. These devices are equipped in cell phones, laptops, tablets, webcams, etc. Image quality is an important component of digital image analysis. To assess image quality for these mobile products, a standard image is required as a reference image. In this case, Root Mean Square Error and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio can be used to measure the quality of the images. However, these methods are not possible if there is no reference image. In our approach, a discrete-wavelet transformation is applied to the blurred image, which decomposes into the approximate image and three detail sub-images, namely horizontal, vertical, and diagonal images. We then focus on noise-measuring the detail images and blur-measuring the approximate image to assess the image quality. We then compute noise mean and noise ratio from the detail images, and blur mean and blur ratio from the approximate image. The Multi-scale Blur Detection (MBD) metric provides both an assessment of the noise and blur content. These values are weighted based on a linear regression against full-reference y values. From these statistics, we can compare to normal useful image statistics for image quality without needing a reference image. We then test the validity of our obtained weights by R2 analysis as well as using them to estimate image quality of an image with a known quality measure. The result shows that our method provides acceptable results for images containing low to mid noise levels and blur content.

Climate-related Indicators and Data Provenance: Evaluating Coupled Boundary Objects for Science, Innovation, and Decision-Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, A.; Young, A.; Brody, C.; Gerst, M.; Kenney, M. A.; Lamoureux, A.; Rice, A.; Wolfinger, F.

2015-12-01

Boundary object theory focuses on the role of artifacts, such as indicator images, in translation and communication across the boundaries of social groups. We use this framework for understanding how data can communicate across contexts to answer the question: Can coupling climate-related indicators with data provenance support scientific innovation and science translation? To address this question we conducted a study to understand the features and capabilities necessary for indicators and data provenance for scientific uses, using the recently online-released U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) Indicators and Global Change Information System (GCIS) as linked boundary objects. We conducted semi-structured interviews with professional researchers in which we asked the researchers to explore and describe what they observed that was useful or frustrating for a subset of the USGCRP Indicators, related GCIS content, and other similar indicator and metadata websites. Participants found these sites' navigation and the labeling and description of their assets frustrating and confusing, but were able to clearly articulate the metadata and provenance information they needed to both understand and trust the indicators. In addition to identifying desired features that are likely to be specific to this audience (e.g., references or citations for indicators), scientists wanted clear, easier-to-access provenance information of the type usually recommended for documenting research data. Notably, they felt the information would be best presented in a fashion accessible to a broader audience, as those with more technical expertise should be able to infer additional contextual details given the provenance information that they had identified as key. Such results are useful for the improvement of indicator systems, such as the prototype released by USGCRP. We note in particular that the consistency of responses across the multi-disciplinary sample, which included scholars in astrophysics, geography, marine biology, and conservation ecology, suggests that data and indicators have strong potential to serve as boundary objects to bridge diverse spaces, and may provide a useful point of reference for establishing interdisciplinary collaboration.

Qualitative evaluations and comparisons of six night-vision colorization methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yufeng; Reese, Kristopher; Blasch, Erik; McManamon, Paul

2013-05-01

Current multispectral night vision (NV) colorization techniques can manipulate images to produce colorized images that closely resemble natural scenes. The colorized NV images can enhance human perception by improving observer object classification and reaction times especially for low light conditions. This paper focuses on the qualitative (subjective) evaluations and comparisons of six NV colorization methods. The multispectral images include visible (Red-Green- Blue), near infrared (NIR), and long wave infrared (LWIR) images. The six colorization methods are channel-based color fusion (CBCF), statistic matching (SM), histogram matching (HM), joint-histogram matching (JHM), statistic matching then joint-histogram matching (SM-JHM), and the lookup table (LUT). Four categries of quality measurements are used for the qualitative evaluations, which are contrast, detail, colorfulness, and overall quality. The score of each measurement is rated from 1 to 3 scale to represent low, average, and high quality, respectively. Specifically, high contrast (of rated score 3) means an adequate level of brightness and contrast. The high detail represents high clarity of detailed contents while maintaining low artifacts. The high colorfulness preserves more natural colors (i.e., closely resembles the daylight image). Overall quality is determined from the NV image compared to the reference image. Nine sets of multispectral NV images were used in our experiments. For each set, the six colorized NV images (produced from NIR and LWIR images) are concurrently presented to users along with the reference color (RGB) image (taken at daytime). A total of 67 subjects passed a screening test ("Ishihara Color Blindness Test") and were asked to evaluate the 9-set colorized images. The experimental results showed the quality order of colorization methods from the best to the worst: CBCF < SM < SM-JHM < LUT < JHM < HM. It is anticipated that this work will provide a benchmark for NV colorization and for quantitative evaluation using an objective metric such as objective evaluation index (OEI).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heyse, J.; Becker, B.; Kopecky, S.

Neutrons can be used as a tool to study properties of materials and objects. An evolving activity in this field focusses on neutron induced reaction cross sections. The probability that a neutron interacts with nuclei strongly depends on the energy of the neutron. The cross sections reveal the presence of resonance structures, the energy and width of which are isotope specific. As such, these resonance structures can be used as fingerprints to determine the elemental and isotopic composition of materials and objects. They are the basis of two analytical methods which have been developed at Institute for Reference Materials andmore » Measurements of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC-IRMM): Neutron Resonance Capture Analysis (NRCA) and Neutron Resonance Transmission Analysis (NRTA). The first technique is based on the detection of gamma rays emitted during a neutron capture reaction in the sample being studied; the latter determines the fraction of neutrons transmitted through a sample positioned in a neutron beam. In the past both techniques have been applied to determine the composition of archaeological objects and to characterize nuclear reference materials. More recently a combination of NRTA and NRCA is being studied as a non-destructive method to determine the heavy metal content of particle-like debris of melted fuel that is formed in severe nuclear accidents such as the one which occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. This study is part of a collaboration between the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and ECJRC- IRMM and is a spin-off from the core activity of IRMM, i.e. the production of nuclear data for nuclear technology applications. This contribution focusses on a newly developed NRTA measurement station that has been set up recently at one of the flight paths of the neutron time-of-flight facility GELINA at the EC-JRC-IRMM. The basic principles of NRTA and first results of measurements at the new set up will be discussed. (authors)« less

28 CFR 51.28 - Supplemental contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... contents. Review by the Attorney General will be facilitated if the following information, where pertinent, is provided in addition to that required by § 51.27. (a) Demographic information. (1) Total and... such information is contained in publications of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, reference to the...

28 CFR 51.28 - Supplemental contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... contents. Review by the Attorney General will be facilitated if the following information, where pertinent, is provided in addition to that required by § 51.27. (a) Demographic information. (1) Total and... such information is contained in publications of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, reference to the...

28 CFR 51.28 - Supplemental contents.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... contents. Review by the Attorney General will be facilitated if the following information, where pertinent, is provided in addition to that required by § 51.27. (a) Demographic information. (1) Total and... such information is contained in publications of the U.S. Bureau of the Census, reference to the...

Improved statistical signal detection in pharmacovigilance by combining multiple strength-of-evidence aspects in vigiRank.

PubMed

Caster, Ola; Juhlin, Kristina; Watson, Sarah; Norén, G Niklas

2014-08-01

Detection of unknown risks with marketed medicines is key to securing the optimal care of individual patients and to reducing the societal burden from adverse drug reactions. Large collections of individual case reports remain the primary source of information and require effective analytics to guide clinical assessors towards likely drug safety signals. Disproportionality analysis is based solely on aggregate numbers of reports and naively disregards report quality and content. However, these latter features are the very fundament of the ensuing clinical assessment. Our objective was to develop and evaluate a data-driven screening algorithm for emerging drug safety signals that accounts for report quality and content. vigiRank is a predictive model for emerging safety signals, here implemented with shrinkage logistic regression to identify predictive variables and estimate their respective contributions. The variables considered for inclusion capture different aspects of strength of evidence, including quality and clinical content of individual reports, as well as trends in time and geographic spread. A reference set of 264 positive controls (historical safety signals from 2003 to 2007) and 5,280 negative controls (pairs of drugs and adverse events not listed in the Summary of Product Characteristics of that drug in 2012) was used for model fitting and evaluation; the latter used fivefold cross-validation to protect against over-fitting. All analyses were performed on a reconstructed version of VigiBase(®) as of 31 December 2004, at around which time most safety signals in our reference set were emerging. The following aspects of strength of evidence were selected for inclusion into vigiRank: the numbers of informative and recent reports, respectively; disproportional reporting; the number of reports with free-text descriptions of the case; and the geographic spread of reporting. vigiRank offered a statistically significant improvement in area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) over screening based on the Information Component (IC) and raw numbers of reports, respectively (0.775 vs. 0.736 and 0.707, cross-validated). Accounting for multiple aspects of strength of evidence has clear conceptual and empirical advantages over disproportionality analysis. vigiRank is a first-of-its-kind predictive model to factor in report quality and content in first-pass screening to better meet tomorrow's post-marketing drug safety surveillance needs.

Five-Year-Olds Can Show the Self-Reference Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sui, Jie; Zhu, Ying

2005-01-01

The current study developed a new paradigm to determine the age at which children begin to show the self-reference advantage in memory. Four-, 5-, and 10-year-olds studied lists of colourful object pictures presented together with self or other face image, and participants were asked to report aloud "who is pointing at the (object)."…

User Satisfaction and Service Transactions for a Reference Department in an Illinois Community College Learning Resources Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cornish, Nancy M.

Users of the reference library at Blackhawk Community College (Illinois) were surveyed to determine user satisfaction and the total number of transactions. The survey's objective was to pinpoint problem areas, supply objective information, develop guidelines and standards, and support needed improvements or the continued maintenance of good…

The Role of Inhibition in Moving beyond Perceptually Focused Noun Extensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snape, Simon; Krott, Andrea

2018-01-01

When young children interpret novel nouns, they tend to be very much affected by the perceptual features of the referent objects, especially shape. This article investigates whether children might inhibit a prepotent tendency to base novel nouns on the shape of referent objects in order to base them on conceptual features (i.e. taxonomic object…

Lexical Entrainment and Lexical Differentiation in Reference Phrase Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Der Wege, Mija M.

2009-01-01

Speakers reuse prior references to objects when choosing reference phrases, a phenomenon known as lexical entrainment. One explanation is that speakers want to maintain a set of previously established referential precedents. Speakers may also contrast any new referents against this previously established set, thereby avoiding applying the same…

Approaching Academic Digital Content Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acker, Stephen R.

2002-01-01

Discusses digital content management in higher education. Highlights include learning objects that make content more modular so it can be used in other courses or by other institutions; and a system at Ohio State University for content management that includes the creation of learner profiles. (LRW)

Exercise may reduce depression but not anxiety in self-referred cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Post-hoc analysis of data from the 'Body & Cancer' trial.

PubMed

Midtgaard, Julie; Stage, Maria; Møller, Tom; Andersen, Christina; Quist, Morten; Rørth, Mikael; Herrstedt, Jørn; Vistisen, Kirsten; Christiansen, Birgitte; Adamsen, Lis

2011-06-01

Abstract Background. The diagnosis and treatment of cancer may cause clinically significant and persistent psychological morbidity. The objective of this study was to determine the short-term effect of a six week exercise intervention on anxiety and depression in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (The 'Body & Cancer' trial). Methods. Two hundred and nine self-referred patients (52 males, 157 females, mean age 47 years) were randomised into an intervention group and a waiting-list control group. Anxiety and depression was measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results. At baseline, 23.5% and 11.5% of the population scored >8 on the HADS and were classified as suspicious or definite cases of anxiety and depression, respectively. Adjusted for baseline score, disease and demographic covariates the estimated intervention effect showed improvement at six weeks for depression of -0.7 points (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.27 to -0.14, p = 0.0153). No significant effect was seen on anxiety. Further subanalysis, including only suspicious or definite cases of depression, resulted in an estimated intervention effect of -2.53 points (95% CI, -0.64 to -0.42, p = 0.021). Conclusion. Anti-depressant effects could be caused by exercise in self-referred cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Dedicated trials and follow-up studies are needed to clarify the optimal duration and content of exercise interventions to meet the needs of clinically depressive or anxious patients.

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Production.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 61 modules in this packet contains a brief description of the module contents, a list of the major division of units, the overall objectives, objectives by units, content outline, and suggested teaching method, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A list of resource materials is also included for each. Some of the…

The Madison Project-A Brief Introduction to Materials and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Robert B.

This pamphlet gives a brief introduction into the objectives, assumptions, content, activities, and materials of the Madison Project. Reported are the objectives of the program for the student and for the teacher. The mathematical content is listed under 22 topics. It is indicated that the availability of the materials may vary extensively from…

An Analysis of Learning Objectives and Content Coverage in Introductory Psychology Syllabi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Homa, Natalie; Hackathorn, Jana; Brown, Carrie M.; Garczynski, Amy; Solomon, Erin D.; Tennial, Rachel; Sanborn, Ursula A.; Gurung, Regan A. R.

2013-01-01

Introductory psychology is one of the most popular undergraduate courses and often serves as the gateway to choosing psychology as an academic major. However, little research has examined the typical structure of introductory psychology courses. The current study examined student learning objectives (SLOs) and course content in introductory…

Modules in Agricultural Education for Agricultural Supplies and Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Occupational and Career Curriculum Development.

Each of the 22 curriculum modules in this packet for instruction in agricultural supplies and services contains a brief description of the module content, a list of the major division or units, the overall objectives, objectives by units, content outline, and suggested teaching methods, student application activities, and evaluation procedures. A…

The Challenge of Content Creation to Facilitate Personalized E-Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turker, Ali; Gorgun, Ilhami; Conlan, Owen

2006-01-01

The runtime creation of pedagogically coherent learning content for an individual learner's needs and preferences is a considerable challenge. By selecting and combining appropriate learning assets into a new learning object such needs and preferences may be accounted for. However, to assure coherence, these objects should be consumed within…

Ontology-Based Annotation of Learning Object Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gasevic, Dragan; Jovanovic, Jelena; Devedzic, Vladan

2007-01-01

The paper proposes a framework for building ontology-aware learning object (LO) content. Previously ontologies were exclusively employed for enriching LOs' metadata. Although such an approach is useful, as it improves retrieval of relevant LOs from LO repositories, it does not enable one to reuse components of a LO, nor to incorporate an explicit…

Basic Course in Highway Traffic Records. Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (DOT), Washington, DC.

The scope and content of this traffic records course are outlined in a chart (Course Structure) and tabulation (Overview of Course Content). General course objectives follow the overview. These define for the instructor the broad objectives, module by module, which the course is designed to reach. The last part of this section gives a detailed…

Libraries & Study Facilities. A Selected Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin Univ., Madison. ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities.

This bibliography contains a selected reference list of publications of interest to architects, library planners, and librarians contemplating the planning, programing, and/or design of library facilities. Each reference is followed by a listing of ERIC descriptors that describe its contents. The items are listed in six sections: (1) library…

Validation studies of Karl Fisher reference method for moisture in cotton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With current international standard oven drying (SOD) techniques lacking precision and accuracy statements, a new standard reference method is needed. Volumetric Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) is a widely used measure of moisture content. The method is used in many ASTM methods, 14 NIST SRMs, and te...

Automated Coastal Engineering System: Technical Reference

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

of Contents ACES Technical Reference Wave Transmission Through Permeable Structures ..................................... 5-4 Littoral Processes...A-2 Table A-4: Grain-Size Scales ( Soil Classification) ..................................... A-3 Table A-5: Major Tidal Constituents... Permeable Structures Lonphore Sediment Tranaport Littoral Numerical Si~ulation of Time-Dependent Beach and Dune Erosion Processes Calculation of Composite

Distributed Learning Environment: Major Functions, Implementation, and Continuous Improvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Converso, Judith A.; Schaffer, Scott P.; Guerra, Ingrid J.

The content of this paper is based on a development plan currently in design for the U.S. Navy in conjunction with the Learning Systems Institute at Florida State University. Leading research (literature review) references and case study ("best practice") references are presented as supporting evidence for the results-oriented…

Overview of OBPR Free Flyer System Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leung, Ronald Y.; Lieberman, Alvin S.

2003-01-01

Contents include the following:OBPR free flyer theme. OBPR free flyer technical activity last 2 years. GSFC integrated mission design center (IMDC) studies. Free flyer assumptions and goals. Free flyer total payload reference concept capabilities. FFM reference payload requirements. FFM mission. FFM medium summary. FFH block diagram FFH spacecraft configuration.concept.

A Bibliography on Euthanasia, 1958-1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hilker, Christine; And Others

This collection of materials represents a 20-year span (1958-1978) of references on euthanasia found through select indexes and abstracting services. The contents are organized into two general reference sections, periodicals and books, with citations listed alphabetically by author. The last two sections focus on the locations of these materials…

The Relationship between Cultural Diversity and User Needs in Virtual Reference Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shachaf, Pnina; Snyder, Mary

2007-01-01

While the racial diversity of academic library users continues to grow, research on the effects of this diversity remains scarce. This study looks at similarities and differences between non-traditional Caucasian and African American library users through content analysis of ninety-four virtual reference transactions.

Serials Information on CD-ROM: A Reference Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karch, Linda S.

1990-01-01

Describes Ulrich's PLUS (a CD-ROM version of Ulrich's serials directories) and EBSCO's CD-ROM version of "The Serials Directory," and compares the two in terms of their use as reference tools. Areas discussed include database content, user aids, system features, search features, and a comparison of search results. Equipment requirements…

Fire Officer I Lesson Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pribyl, Paul F.

Lesson plans are provided for the Fire Officer I course. Material for each lesson is presented in this format: course title, lesson title, equipment required, training aids needed, and a content outline which details teaching points and related instructor references. These references, or suggested readings, are listed at the conclusion of each…

NASCAP programmer's reference manual

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandell, M. J.; Stannard, P. R.; Katz, I.

1993-05-01

The NASA Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP) is a computer program designed to model the electrostatic charging of complicated three-dimensional objects, both in a test tank and at geosynchronous altitudes. This document is a programmer's reference manual and user's guide. It is designed as a reference to experienced users of the code, as well as an introduction to its use for beginners. All of the many capabilities of NASCAP are covered in detail, together with examples of their use. These include the definition of objects, plasma environments, potential calculations, particle emission and detection simulations, and charging analysis.

NASCAP programmer's reference manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandell, M. J.; Stannard, P. R.; Katz, I.

1993-01-01

The NASA Charging Analyzer Program (NASCAP) is a computer program designed to model the electrostatic charging of complicated three-dimensional objects, both in a test tank and at geosynchronous altitudes. This document is a programmer's reference manual and user's guide. It is designed as a reference to experienced users of the code, as well as an introduction to its use for beginners. All of the many capabilities of NASCAP are covered in detail, together with examples of their use. These include the definition of objects, plasma environments, potential calculations, particle emission and detection simulations, and charging analysis.

State Public Health Enabling Authorities: Results of a Fundamental Activities Assessment Examining Core and Essential Services

PubMed Central

Hoss, Aila; Menon, Akshara; Corso, Liza

2016-01-01

Context Public health enabling authorities establish the legal foundation for financing, organizing, and delivering public health services. State laws vary in terms of the content, depth, and breadth of these fundamental public health activities. Given this variance, the Institute of Medicine has identified state public health laws as an area that requires further examination. To respond to this call for further examination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Public Health Law Program conducted a fundamental activities legal assessment on state public health laws. Objective The goal of the legal assessment was to examine state laws referencing frameworks representing public health department fundamental activities (ie, core and essential services) in an effort to identify, catalog, and describe enabling authorities of state governmental public health systems. Design In 2013, Public Health Law Program staff compiled a list of state statutes and regulations referencing different commonly-recognized public health frameworks of fundamental activities. The legal assessment included state fundamental activities laws available on WestlawNext as of July 2013. The results related to the 10 essential public health services and the 3 core public health functions were confirmed and updated in June 2016. Results Eighteen states reference commonly-recognized frameworks of fundamental activities in their laws. Thirteen states have listed the 10 essential public health services in their laws. Eight of these states have also referenced the 3 core public health functions in their laws. Five states reference only the core public health functions. Conclusions Several states reference fundamental activities in their state laws, particularly through use of the essential services framework. Further work is needed to capture the public health laws and practices of states that may be performing fundamental activities but without reference to a common framework. PMID:27682724

Pediatric primary care providers' perspectives regarding hospital discharge communication: a mixed methods analysis.

PubMed

Leyenaar, JoAnna K; Bergert, Lora; Mallory, Leah A; Engel, Richard; Rassbach, Caroline; Shen, Mark; Woehrlen, Tess; Cooperberg, David; Coghlin, Daniel

2015-01-01

Effective communication between inpatient and outpatient providers may mitigate risks of adverse events associated with hospital discharge. However, there is an absence of pediatric literature defining effective discharge communication strategies at both freestanding children's hospitals and general hospitals. The objectives of this study were to assess associations between pediatric primary care providers' (PCPs) reported receipt of discharge communication and referral hospital type, and to describe PCPs' perspectives regarding effective discharge communication and areas for improvement. We administered a questionnaire to PCPs referring to 16 pediatric hospital medicine programs nationally. Multivariable models were developed to assess associations between referral hospital type and receipt and completeness of discharge communication. Open-ended questions asked respondents to describe effective strategies and areas requiring improvement regarding discharge communication. Conventional qualitative content analysis was performed to identify emergent themes. Responses were received from 201 PCPs, for a response rate of 63%. Although there were no differences between referral hospital type and PCP-reported receipt of discharge communication (relative risk 1.61, 95% confidence interval 0.97-2.67), PCPs referring to general hospitals more frequently reported completeness of discharge communication relative to those referring to freestanding children's hospitals (relative risk 1.78, 95% confidence interval 1.26-2.51). Analysis of free text responses yielded 4 major themes: 1) structured discharge communication, 2) direct personal communication, 3) reliability and timeliness of communication, and 4) communication for effective postdischarge care. This study highlights potential differences in the experiences of PCPs referring to general hospitals and freestanding children's hospitals, and presents valuable contextual data for future quality improvement initiatives. Copyright © 2015 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Standardization of allergen products: 2. Detailed characterization of GMP-produced recombinant Phl p 5.0109 as European Pharmacopoeia reference standard.

PubMed

Himly, M; Nandy, A; Kahlert, H; Thilker, M; Steiner, M; Briza, P; Neubauer, A; Klysner, S; van Ree, R; Buchheit, K-H; Vieths, S; Ferreira, F

2016-04-01

The Biological Standardization Programme of the European Directorate for Quality of Medicines and Healthcare (EDQM) aims at the establishment of well-characterized reference standards based on recombinant allergens and validated assays for the quantification of major allergen content. The objective of this study was to examine the detailed physicochemical and immunological characterization of recombinant Phl p 5.0109, the second available allergen reference standard. Recombinant Phl p 5.0109 PP5ar06007 was produced under GMP conditions and analyzed by an array of physicochemical and immunological methods for identity, quantity, homogeneity, and folding stability in bulk solution, as well as thermal denaturation, aggregation state, and biological activity when formulated for long-time storage. PP5ar06007 revealed as a highly homogeneous, monomeric, well-folded preparation of rPhl p 5.0109, as documented by mass spectrometry, SDS-PAGE, isoelectric focusing, size-exclusion chromatography with light scattering, circular dichroism, and infrared spectroscopy. Upon storage at +4°C, PP5ar06007 retained the monomeric state for at least 2 months. A protein quantity of 1.56 ± 0.03 mg/ml was determined by amino acid analysis in PP5ar06007, and its biological activity was shown to be comparable to natural Phl p 5 in terms of basophil activation and T-cell reactivity. Recombinant Phl p 5.0109 PP5ar06007 was characterized extensively at the physicochemical and immunological level. It revealed to be a highly stable, monomeric, and immunologically equivalent of its natural counterpart. PP5ar06007 is now available as European Pharmacopoeia allergen reference standard for grass pollen products. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Audiovisual alignment of co-speech gestures to speech supports word learning in 2-year-olds.

PubMed

Jesse, Alexandra; Johnson, Elizabeth K

2016-05-01

Analyses of caregiver-child communication suggest that an adult tends to highlight objects in a child's visual scene by moving them in a manner that is temporally aligned with the adult's speech productions. Here, we used the looking-while-listening paradigm to examine whether 25-month-olds use audiovisual temporal alignment to disambiguate and learn novel word-referent mappings in a difficult word-learning task. Videos of two equally interesting and animated novel objects were simultaneously presented to children, but the movement of only one of the objects was aligned with an accompanying object-labeling audio track. No social cues (e.g., pointing, eye gaze, touch) were available to the children because the speaker was edited out of the videos. Immediately afterward, toddlers were presented with still images of the two objects and asked to look at one or the other. Toddlers looked reliably longer to the labeled object, demonstrating their acquisition of the novel word-referent mapping. A control condition showed that children's performance was not solely due to the single unambiguous labeling that had occurred at experiment onset. We conclude that the temporal link between a speaker's utterances and the motion they imposed on the referent object helps toddlers to deduce a speaker's intended reference in a difficult word-learning scenario. In combination with our previous work, these findings suggest that intersensory redundancy is a source of information used by language users of all ages. That is, intersensory redundancy is not just a word-learning tool used by young infants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of four endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays for common wheat quantification in GMOs detection.

PubMed

Huang, Huali; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Ruoan; Zhang, Dabing; Yang, Litao

2013-01-01

Proper selection of endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays is quite important in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) detection. To find a suitable endogenous reference gene and its real-time PCR assay for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) DNA content or copy number quantification, four previously reported wheat endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays were comprehensively evaluated for the target gene sequence variation and their real-time PCR performance among 37 common wheat lines. Three SNPs were observed in the PKABA1 and ALMT1 genes, and these SNPs significantly decreased the efficiency of real-time PCR amplification. GeNorm analysis of the real-time PCR performance of each gene among common wheat lines showed that the Waxy-D1 assay had the lowest M values with the best stability among all tested lines. All results indicated that the Waxy-D1 gene and its real-time PCR assay were most suitable to be used as an endogenous reference gene for common wheat DNA content quantification. The validated Waxy-D1 gene assay will be useful in establishing accurate and creditable qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis of GM wheat.

Evaluation of Four Endogenous Reference Genes and Their Real-Time PCR Assays for Common Wheat Quantification in GMOs Detection

PubMed Central

Huang, Huali; Cheng, Fang; Wang, Ruoan; Zhang, Dabing; Yang, Litao

2013-01-01

Proper selection of endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays is quite important in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) detection. To find a suitable endogenous reference gene and its real-time PCR assay for common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) DNA content or copy number quantification, four previously reported wheat endogenous reference genes and their real-time PCR assays were comprehensively evaluated for the target gene sequence variation and their real-time PCR performance among 37 common wheat lines. Three SNPs were observed in the PKABA1 and ALMT1 genes, and these SNPs significantly decreased the efficiency of real-time PCR amplification. GeNorm analysis of the real-time PCR performance of each gene among common wheat lines showed that the Waxy-D1 assay had the lowest M values with the best stability among all tested lines. All results indicated that the Waxy-D1 gene and its real-time PCR assay were most suitable to be used as an endogenous reference gene for common wheat DNA content quantification. The validated Waxy-D1 gene assay will be useful in establishing accurate and creditable qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis of GM wheat. PMID:24098735

Collaborative studies on the development of national reference standards for potency determination of H7N9 influenza vaccine

PubMed Central

Li, Changgui; Xu, Kangwei; Hashem, Anwar; Shao, Ming; Liu, Shuzhen; Zou, Yong; Gao, Qiang; Zhang, Yongchao; Yuan, Liyong; Xu, Miao; Li, Xuguang; Wang, Junzhi

2015-01-01

The outbreak of human infections of a novel avian influenza virus A (H7N9) prompted the development of the vaccines against this virus. Like all types of influenza vaccines, H7N9 vaccine must be tested for its potency prior to being used in humans. However, the unavailability of international reference reagents for the potency determination of H7N9 vaccines substantially hinders the progress in vaccine development. To facilitate clinical development, we enlisted 5 participants in a collaborative study to develop critical reagents used in Single Radial Immunodiffusion (SRID), the currently acceptable assay for potency determination of influenza vaccine. Specifically, the hemagglutinin (HA) content of one vaccine bulk for influenza A (H7N9), herein designated as Primary Liquid Standard (PLS), was determined by SDS-PAGE. In addition, the freeze-dried antigen references derived from PLS were prepared to enhance the stability for long term storage. The final HA content of lyophilized antigen references were calibrated against PLS by SRID assay in a collaborative study. Importantly, application of these national reference standards to potency analyses greatly facilitated the development of H7N9 vaccines in China. PMID:25970793

Assessing distribution and movement of blue catfish in Kansas reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mather, Martha E.; Gerber, Kayla M.; Peterson, Zachary

2015-01-01

This report is organized into three chapters that address six objectives. The first chapter addresses objectives 1-3. The second chapter addresses objectives 4-5. The third chapter addresses objective 6. The objectives for the project are listed below for reference.

Motion compensation and noise tolerance in phase-shifting digital in-line holography.

PubMed

Stenner, Michael D; Neifeld, Mark A

2006-05-15

We present a technique for phase-shifting digital in-line holography which compensates for lateral object motion. By collecting two frames of interference between object and reference fields with identical reference phase, one can estimate the lateral motion that occurred between frames using the cross-correlation. We also describe a very general linear framework for phase-shifting holographic reconstruction which minimizes additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) for an arbitrary set of reference field amplitudes and phases. We analyze the technique's sensitivity to noise (AWGN, quantization, and shot), errors in the reference fields, errors in motion estimation, resolution, and depth of field. We also present experimental motion-compensated images achieving the expected resolution.

Discriminating ultrasonic proximity detection system

DOEpatents

Annala, Wayne C.

1989-01-01

This invention uses an ultrasonic transmitter and receiver and a microprocessor to detect the presence of an object. In the reset mode the invention uses a plurality of echoes from each ultrasonic burst to create a reference table of the echo-burst-signature of the empty monitored environment. The invention then processes the reference table so that it only uses the most reliable data. In the detection mode the invention compares the echo-burst-signature of the present environment with the reference table, detecting an object if there is a consistent difference between the echo-burst-signature of the empty monitored environment recorded in the reference table and the echo-burst-signature of the present environment.

A Modified Content Analysis of Existing School Psychology Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallin, Barry; Schellenberg, Miriam E.; Smith, Christiane

2012-01-01

Discrepancies between our university's training program's report-writing guidelines and common practice in Manitoba could not be resolved by reference to the literature. To inform the discussion, we collected a sample of local real world school psychology reports and undertook a modified content analysis to operationally define and measure…

Was the Driver Drunk? An Instrumental Methods Experiment for the Determination of Blood Alcohol Content.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zabzdyr, Jennifer L.; Lillard, Sheri J.

2001-01-01

Introduces a laboratory experiment for determining blood alcohol content using a combination of instrumental analysis and forensic science. Teaches the importance of careful laboratory technique and that experiments are conducted for a reason. Includes the procedure of the experiment. (Contains 17 references.) (YDS)

Food Marketing: Cashier-Checker. Teacher's Guide. Competency Based Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Froelich, Larry; And Others

This teacher's guide is designed to accompany the Competency Based Cashier-Checker Curriculum student materials--see note. Contents include a listing of reference materials, tool and equipment lists, copy of the table of contents for student competency sheets, teacher's suggestions, and answer keys for information sheets and exercises.…